France experienced political anarchy in 2024, and President Emmanuel Macron's New Year's address triggered another wave of public discontent, French journalist Hélène de Lauzun said in The European Conservative magazine.
According to Report, Lauzun believes that despite his responsibility for the political discord in the country, Macron promised to consult more "directly" with the French people. However, specific plans remained unclear, causing dissatisfaction and irritation, notes de Lauzun.
"The left harshly criticized the president's speech, calling it inappropriate, authoritarian, and arrogant. Members of the far-left La France Insoumise party again called for Macron's resignation. The right-wing National Rally (RN) party condemned the egocentric head of state, immersed in an end-of-reign atmosphere," she wrote, noting that despite doubts from RN leader Marine Le Pen about holding a referendum in 2025, there remain many reasons for it.
The author notes that the audience ratings for the French president's New Year's address dropped even further this year. Only 9.7 million people watched his address, half a million fewer than last year.
De Lauzun noted that presidential addresses are usually apolitical, but this time it was impossible to avoid discussing his political failures. She detailed Macron's awkward attempts to justify the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024 and his admission of failure in giving voters a voice.
In her opinion, the French president's hidden and subtle "repentance" was brief, with the rest of his speech characterized by attempts to show he remains in control despite lacking a majority.
Concluding, de Lauzun notes that "Macron never fulfills his grand promises" and compares him unfavorably to Charles de Gaulle, who took responsibility and resigned after losing a referendum in 1969, suggesting Macron would not follow such an example.