PARIS — Even in normal times, Emmanuel Macron needed the help of allies to govern France.
To do some things he worked with the traditional right. The center-left helped the French president get others. The challenge was greater than any French leader had faced in more than two decades: he had to convince politicians in the country’s national assembly to support even a minor domestic project.
Now governing his already polarized country has become almost impossible for Macron after a suburban police officer pulled over a yellow Mercedes A-class and fatally shot the 17-year-old driver in the chest, sparking six days of unrest in the whole country .
Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and its close allies had just 251 seats out of 577 after Macron won his second five-year term last year with 58% of the vote in a runoff with the far-right leader right Marine Le Pen.
Macron dreamed big despite narrow victory. His first big goal was to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, which he had to force through Parliament. He then hoped to reindustrialize France, improve working conditions and finalize a new immigration bill. Abroad, Macron defended European sovereignty and independence in fields ranging from the economy and energy to defense.
But all that had to fall by the wayside.
Macron cut short a visit to a European summit in Brussels last week for a crisis meeting with his government. This week, he asked for a last-minute delay on a visit to Germany that had been intended to show the strength of the bilateral friendship despite disputes over energy, defense and the economy, among other issues.
The changes to his schedule echo another awkward situation for the French leader three months ago, when King Charles III’s planned state visit to France was postponed due to violent protests against pension changes .
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was watching France’s situation with concern.
“I really hope, and I am convinced, that the French president will find ways for this situation to improve quickly,” he told ARD television. “I don’t expect France to become unstable, even if the pictures are, of course, very depressing.”
The United States, the United Kingdom and China were among those urging citizens to exercise caution when traveling to France.
Last month, after a climate summit, Kenyan President William Ruto praised Macron’s deep involvement. “You have run this as Kenyans do… like a marathon,” he told Macron.
The question now for Macron is whether he can muster enough stamina to deal with the political situation at home.
“The problem is that he still has four more years left,” said Luc Rouban, a senior researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
He noted that Macron has faced a succession of street protests and riots, starting with the yellow vest movement against social injustice that erupted in 2018.
A growing proportion of the population “rejects institutions” as part of a wider critique of “a social order that involves inequalities, that is… basically quite hypocritical, with school in particular not allowing people be successful as before,” Rouban. said
Schools, town halls, police stations and other public institutions have been attacked.
Macron “doesn’t have much room to maneuver except to distribute subsidies,” which is also difficult because of France’s heavy debt burden, Rouban said.
Last month, Macron hosted the world summit on climate and finance that brought together more than 50 heads of state and government and leaders of international organizations in the French capital, highlighting his international leadership.
Macron traveled to Marseille last week to promote government efforts to inject billions into schools, housing and security and improve the lives of residents of low-income neighborhoods in France’s second-largest city.
Macron will meet at the presidential palace on Tuesday with the mayors of more than 220 towns and cities that have been affected by incidents and damage in recent days.
Le Pen appears to come out of the situation in a stronger position, said Rouban. He continues to position himself as the main political opposition to Macron and continues his strategy to clean up the image of his far-right National Rally party, he said.
“These terrible events bring our leaders back to reality,” Le Pen said last week in a video posted on a social media account. “I intend to stick to our line of conduct, which is to do nothing to impede or challenge the actions of legitimate law enforcement authorities.”
On the Champs-Elysées in Paris Monday, workers were preparing for Bastille Day festivities, installing seats and barriers for the crowds expected to attend the traditional July 14 military parade with the guest of honor Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India.
Another important deadline is approaching: next year’s Olympics in Paris, the suburbs and other French cities. Organizers and authorities promise the Games will be safe.
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AP reporter Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this story.
