France: Politicians 'see themselves as people from TV' says host
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France’s President Emmanuel Macron put out what seems to be a campaign video on his Twitter account last night promoting his first term in office. His first five years in power were marked by controversies like the failed pension scheme reform, the yellow vest protests, and the Benalla affair but were all presented under President Macron’s perspective. The editor of left-wing French newspaper Marianne, Natacha Polony, took direct aim at the President for his “paradoxical” political communication, as the video shows Emmanuel Macron is “all by himself” ahead of the contested French legislative elections.
Speaking to French broadcaster BFM TV, Natacha Polony lashed out: “And here we have an example of political marketing communication that is supposed to prepare us for the legislative elections.”
“It’s the assessment of the five-year period and look what we’re going to do next.”
“Except that this long video only tells us one thing: there is one man, one man alone who has decided everything, who has done everything, who has succeeded in everything of course.”
The video features highlights of President Macron’s first term such as France’s football team victory in the 2018 World Cup, and police officers protecting French people against Yellow Vests protesters destroying the Arc de Triomphe.
But the editor noted some more embarrassing moments are missing.
She added: “The Benalla affair, for example, has been forgotten but that’s not very surprising. Neither are the President’s little phrases.”
Alexandre Benalla, the President’s security officer, was found to have contracted financial ties with two Russian oligarchs during his time in the Elysée Palace.
He was still in possession of several diplomatic passports after he was fired for beating up a young protester during protests while impersonating a police officer.
Ms Polony continued: “But in the end, that’s not the most interesting thing. In fact, the most interesting thing is what it tells us about politics today.
“First of all, because most politicians today no longer have literature or philosophers as their reference, but TV series.”
Mocking Emmanuel Macron’s video showing him all by himself, she added: “And they see themselves as people from TV series. They live politics like that because that is what they have been fed.”
“And they are supposed to make us want to go and vote for MPs, i.e. people who normally have to decide on laws, by presenting us with the unique action of a man who obviously didn’t need an Assembly.”
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Emmanuel Macron will need France’s National Assembly MPs to pass his agenda in his second term.
While he won an overwhelming majority of seats in his first term, it remains unclear whether he will be able to pull off a victory this time around. According to polls, a coalition of left-wing parties could win and torpedo Macron’s plan of passing reforms.
“That’s the paradoxes of politics when it’s done in the Netflix way”, Ms Polony concluded.
French legislative elections are scheduled for June 12 and 19.
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