The Doctrines of Macron

 

Photo source: US news

By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront

Emmanuel Macron’s re election in April 2022 marked an important moment in contemporary French politics. By securing a second mandate, he became the first French president in two decades to win re election, the last being Jacques Chirac in 2002. The achievement confirmed that Macron’s political experiment launched only a few years earlier with a brand new movement and without the backing of traditional party structures had transformed the country’s political landscape. His presidency has been defined by ambitious reform, an attempt to reshape the centre of French politics, and a controversial mix of liberal economic policies and assertive state authority.

From the moment he first sought the presidency in 2017, Macron presented himself as a reformer determined to break with the old political order. France had long been dominated by the alternating power of the centre right Republicans and the Socialist Party. Macron disrupted this system by founding La Republique En Marche, positioning it as a pro European reformist force that straddled the ideological centre. His success effectively shattered the traditional party alignment that had structured French politics for decades. As political observers noted, Macron’s rise created a new political axis in which the centre was occupied by his movement, while opposition increasingly gravitated towards the populist left and the nationalist right.

Domestically, Macron’s first term was characterised by significant economic and labour reforms. His government introduced measures designed to liberalise the labour market, encourage investment, and reduce unemployment, which had long been a structural problem in France. Labour regulations were simplified, corporate taxation was reduced, and policies aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship were introduced. These reforms were controversial, particularly among trade unions and sections of the working class who feared the erosion of social protections. Yet the policies also contributed to a measurable improvement in employment figures before the economic shock of the COVID 19 pandemic. By the end of his first term, unemployment had fallen to levels not seen in more than a decade.

His administration also pursued reforms to France’s welfare and pension systems, arguing that demographic pressures made change unavoidable. One of the most contentious initiatives was the proposal to raise the retirement age from sixty two to sixty four, a measure that Macron argued was necessary to sustain the pension system in the long term. The reform triggered widespread protests and strikes across France, illustrating the enduring tension between economic reform and France’s deeply rooted social model. Nevertheless, Macron and his supporters insisted that such changes were essential if France was to remain competitive within the European economy.

Macron’s governing style has also been distinctive. The French Fifth Republic created by Charles de Gaulle in 1958 gives substantial executive authority to the president. Macron has used these institutional powers energetically, centralising decision making within the Elysee Palace and cultivating an image of strong presidential leadership. Critics have accused him of governing in an overly technocratic and centralised manner, while supporters argue that decisive leadership has been necessary in an era of political fragmentation and crisis.

Internationally, Macron has sought to project France as an independent and influential power within Europe and beyond. A committed advocate of European integration, he has repeatedly argued for a stronger and more autonomous European Union. In speeches and interviews, he has promoted the idea of European strategic autonomy, urging the EU to reduce its dependence on external powers in defence, technology and energy. In a widely discussed interview with Der Spiegel, Macron called for a form of heroic politics capable of revitalising Europe’s global role.

France’s foreign policy under Macron has therefore emphasised both European leadership and diplomatic engagement with global powers. His attempts to maintain dialogue with Vladimir Putin prior to the full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 were part of this strategy. Macron believed that maintaining channels of communication with Putin might help preserve European stability. Although these efforts ultimately failed to prevent the conflict, they reflected his broader approach of combining diplomacy with European solidarity.

Another major element of Macron’s foreign policy has been France’s continued military involvement in the Sahel region of Africa. Through operations such as Operation Barkhane, France sought to combat jihadist insurgencies in countries including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. While these missions were initially welcomed by some governments in the region, they gradually became politically controversial. Anti French sentiment grew in several Sahelian states, and France began withdrawing its forces from Mali in 2022 after tensions with the country’s military leadership. The episode illustrated the limits of France’s traditional role as a security guarantor in parts of Africa.

Migration policy has also been an area of tension and debate during Macron’s presidency. France has remained committed to the European Union’s collective approach to managing migration across the Mediterranean, which includes cooperation with North African states to reduce irregular crossings. As journalist James Snell argued in The New Arab, the French position that emerged during Macron’s years in power suggested that stability along the Mediterranean coast was increasingly seen as essential for managing migration flows. European governments including France have therefore supported regional initiatives such as the Western Mediterranean Forum, also known as the 5 plus 5 Dialogue, which brings together European and North African countries including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia to discuss security, development and migration.

Yet Macron’s approach to migration and integration has often been criticised from multiple directions. Human rights advocates argue that European policies risk prioritising border control over humanitarian obligations, while political opponents on the right accuse the government of failing to curb immigration sufficiently. This tension reflects a broader debate across Europe about how liberal democracies should balance openness, security and social cohesion.

Perhaps the most sensitive domestic issue confronting Macron has been the question of secularism and the integration of Muslim communities in France. The French principle of laicite emphasises a strict separation between religion and the state. In recent years Macron’s government introduced legislation aimed at combating what it termed Islamist separatism. The law passed in 2021 as the Law Reinforcing Respect for the Principles of the Republic sought to increase oversight of religious organisations, regulate foreign funding for mosques and strengthen the state’s ability to intervene against extremist networks. Before his first time election, he was pro immigrant which included taking care of war refugees, including putting a moral duty on the French state to give asylum to genuine applicants. Now he is clearly against those policies.

Supporters argued that these measures were necessary to defend the secular republic and prevent radicalisation. Critics however contended that some provisions risked stigmatising ordinary Muslims and expanding state surveillance of religious life. Sociologist Etienne Ollion of the French National Centre for Scientific Research noted in an interview with The New Arab that actions such as dismantling migrant encampments in Calais or tightening regulations on Muslim organisations had sometimes blurred the line between security policy and broader cultural tensions. According to Ollion such policies have occasionally benefited far right narratives by reinforcing fears about immigration and identity.

Indeed the political environment in which Macron governs remains highly polarised. France’s far right has grown steadily stronger over the past decade. Marine Le Pen leader of the National Rally reached the second round of the presidential election in both 2017 and 2022. Other right wing figures including journalist turned politician Eric Zemmour have also pushed the political conversation further towards issues of identity and immigration.

One concept that has increasingly entered political discourse is the so called great replacement theory. First popularised by the French writer Renaud Camus in his 2011 book Le Grand Remplacement the theory alleges that European populations are being deliberately replaced by immigrants from non European backgrounds. Although widely dismissed by scholars as a racist conspiracy theory the phrase has nonetheless circulated in far right political rhetoric. Its international notoriety grew after the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand where the perpetrator referenced the theory in his manifesto.

In France elements of this discourse have occasionally been echoed by mainstream political figures seeking to appeal to right leaning voters. During the 2022 presidential campaign conservative candidate Valerie Pecresse faced criticism after invoking the term in a speech. Analysts observed that the normalisation of such rhetoric reflected the growing pressure on centre right politicians to compete with the far right for electoral support.

For Macron this evolving political landscape presents a complex challenge. His strategy has often involved occupying the political centre while allowing opposition forces to compete on the ideological extremes. In the short term this approach helped consolidate his electoral base and secure re election. In the longer term however it risks further polarising the political system by strengthening both radical left and nationalist movements.

As Macron began his second term his allies suggested that he would adopt a more consultative style of leadership. Whether such a shift can ease political tensions remains uncertain. France today faces multiple pressures including economic adjustment social inequality debates over national identity and the broader geopolitical turbulence reshaping Europe.

Macron’s presidency therefore represents both continuity and disruption in French politics. He has modernised aspects of the economy reaffirmed France’s commitment to European integration and attempted to project diplomatic influence on the global stage. At the same time his reforms have provoked fierce domestic opposition and exposed deep divisions within French society. Navigating these contradictions will likely define the remainder of his presidency and shape the trajectory of French politics in the years ahead.