Po

• In view of current events, the announced “appeasement” seems to be no more than a word.
• As long as it doesn’t take concrete form, political discourse remains disappointing and fuels mistrust toward political leaders.
• According to the Odoxa poll cited above, only 36% of French people consider him competent – down 13% since May 2022.

The “little phrases” that spark the flame

• Despite a few apologies between his two terms in office, he continues to pepper his speechs with ‘little phrases’ – off-the-cuff remarks that spark mistrust and anger among regular citizens.
• He strongly supported the country’s police and security forces, backing up Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
• There were no words of support or compassion for the working-class neighbourhoods, even those suffering most from the riots.

City policy

• It doesn’t work like that any more.”

  “The people who live in these neighbourhoods are the actors in these issues.

• It doesn’t work like that any more.” “The people who live in these neighbourhoods are the actors in these issues.
• The 2022 plan called ‘Quartiers 2030’ shows signs of a desire to (re)take these areas and their residents into consideration.
• The president’s trip to Marseille to visit some difficult housing estates did nothing to change the situation or bring lasting peace.

The left-right divide

• Another factor is the left-right divide.
• A more start-up-Uber line, present in Macron’s book Revolution, or a more authoritarian line embodied by his Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin?
• A blurring that has contributed to the weakening of the divide, a weakening that suffocates democracy and automatically radicalises opposition – to oppose the president, it’s mechanically necessary to go further to the right and further to the left.
• Like a fault line, and with a challenge to reconcile and make ‘common’ that seems a long way off.