PARIS (AP) \u2014 Even in normal times\u00a0Emmanuel Macron\u00a0needed allies\u2019 help governing France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get some things done he worked with the traditional right. The center-left helped the French president accomplish others. The challenge was bigger than any a French leader had faced in more than two decades: He had to convince politicians across the country\u2019s national assembly to support even a minor domestic project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, governing his already-polarized country has gotten close to impossible for Macron because a suburban police officer stopped a yellow Class A Mercedes and\u00a0fired one fatal shot\u00a0into the 17-year-old driver\u2019s chest, setting off six days of\u00a0tumult\u00a0across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron\u2019s centrist Renaissance party and its close allies had merely 251 seats out of 577 after Macron won his second five-year term last year with 58% of the votes in a runoff with far-right leader Marine Le Pen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron dreamed big despite the close victory. His first big goal was\u00a0raising the retirement age\u00a0from 62 to 64, which he had to force through parliament. He then hoped to\u00a0re-industrialize France, improve working conditions and finalize a new immigration bill. Abroad, Macron championed European sovereignty and independence in fields ranging from the economy and energy to\u00a0defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But all that has had to fall by the wayside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron shortened a visit to a European summit in Brussels last week for a crisis meeting with his government. This week, he called a last-minute delay in a visit to Germany that had been meant to show the strength of the binationational friendship despite disputes on energy, defense and the economy, among other issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The changes in his agenda echo another uncomfortable situation for the French leader three months ago, when the planned state visit of King Charles III to France\u00a0was postponed due to violent protests\u00a0against the pension changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was watching France\u2019s situation with concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hope very much, and I am convinced, that the French president will find ways for this situation to improve quickly,\u201d he told ARD television. \u201cI don\u2019t expect France to become unstable, even if the pictures are of course very depressing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S., the UK and China were among those that called on citizens to exercise caution when travelling to France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month, after a climate summit, Kenya\u2019s president William Ruto praised Macron\u2019s deep involvement. \u201cYou have run this like Kenyans do … like a marathon,\u201d he told Macron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The question now for Macron is whether he can marshal enough endurance to face the political situation at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe problem is that he still has four more years ahead,\u201d said Luc Rouban, a senior researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that Macron has faced a succession of protests and street unrest, starting with the yellow vest movement against social injustice that broke out in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An increasing proportion of the population \u201crejects institutions\u201d as part of a broader criticism of \u201ca social order that involves inequalities, that is … basically quite hypocritical, with school in particular not allowing people to succeed as it once did,\u201d Rouban said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schools, city halls, police stations and other public institutions have been attacked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron \u201cdoesn\u2019t have much leeway except for distributing subsidies,\u201d which is also difficult because of France\u2019s heavy debt burden, Rouban said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month, Macron hosted the\u00a0global summit on climate and finance\u00a0that brought over 50 heads of state and government and leaders of international organizations in the French capital, highlighting his international leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron then travelled to Marseille last week to promote government efforts to inject billions into schools, housing and security and improve lives of residents of low-income neighbourhoods in France\u2019s second largest city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron is to meet Tuesday at the presidential palace with the mayors of over 220 towns and cities that have been concerned by incidents and damages in recent days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An increasing proportion of the population \u201crejects institutions\u201d as part of a broader criticism of \u201ca social order that involves inequalities, that is … basically quite hypocritical, with school in particular not allowing people to succeed as it once did,\u201d Rouban said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schools, city halls, police stations and other public institutions have been attacked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron \u201cdoesn\u2019t have much leeway except for distributing subsidies,\u201d which is also difficult because of France\u2019s heavy debt burden, Rouban said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month, Macron hosted the\u00a0global summit on climate and finance\u00a0that brought over 50 heads of state and government and leaders of international organizations in the French capital, highlighting his international leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron then travelled to Marseille last week to promote government efforts to inject billions into schools, housing and security and improve lives of residents of low-income neighbourhoods in France\u2019s second largest city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron is to meet Tuesday at the presidential palace with the mayors of over 220 towns and cities that have been concerned by incidents and damages in recent days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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