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| Emmanuel Macron to give first live television interview | Emmanuel Macron to give first live television interview |
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| The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will give his first live, prime-time TV interview on Sunday night as he tries to counter the damaging image that he is a “president for the rich” who cares more about the wealthy than the struggling. | The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will give his first live, prime-time TV interview on Sunday night as he tries to counter the damaging image that he is a “president for the rich” who cares more about the wealthy than the struggling. |
| Macron, the pro-business centrist who beat the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen to win the presidency in May, has until now shied away from traditional French presidential TV appearances. Instead, he has preferred giving lofty, lengthy speeches – namely on the future of the European Union – punctuated by flippant comments on public walkabouts. | Macron, the pro-business centrist who beat the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen to win the presidency in May, has until now shied away from traditional French presidential TV appearances. Instead, he has preferred giving lofty, lengthy speeches – namely on the future of the European Union – punctuated by flippant comments on public walkabouts. |
| But after Macron’s approval ratings fell this summer and then stabilised in recent weeks, the president wants to address the large numbers of voters struggling to understand the real meaning and implications of his political project and the nature of “Macronism”, which claims to be both left and right. | But after Macron’s approval ratings fell this summer and then stabilised in recent weeks, the president wants to address the large numbers of voters struggling to understand the real meaning and implications of his political project and the nature of “Macronism”, which claims to be both left and right. |
| The 39-year-old president is under pressure to set out what his proposed “transformation” of France will mean for regular households in the next five years. | The 39-year-old president is under pressure to set out what his proposed “transformation” of France will mean for regular households in the next five years. |
| In political terms, Macron is comfortable: his young party, La République en Marche, dominates parliament; opposition is fragmented; and Macron has managed to swiftly deliver key manifesto promises, namely pushing through a loosening of labour laws in favour of businesses. | In political terms, Macron is comfortable: his young party, La République en Marche, dominates parliament; opposition is fragmented; and Macron has managed to swiftly deliver key manifesto promises, namely pushing through a loosening of labour laws in favour of businesses. |
| Instead, Macron’s issue is personal image. Like all French presidents before him, he is under scrutiny over his own personal style. | Instead, Macron’s issue is personal image. Like all French presidents before him, he is under scrutiny over his own personal style. |
| Some of Macron’s policies, such as watering down France’s deeply symbolic wealth tax by applying it only to property, have led to him being labelled “president of the rich” – a tag that previously damaged the rightwing Nicolas Sarkozy. | Some of Macron’s policies, such as watering down France’s deeply symbolic wealth tax by applying it only to property, have led to him being labelled “president of the rich” – a tag that previously damaged the rightwing Nicolas Sarkozy. |
| The privately educated former investment banker has also recently been criticised for comments that were seen, particularly on the left, as being cut off from real life. When a row erupted over his cuts to housing benefits, Macron suggested that if asked nicely, landlords might lower their rents. Critics slammed him for pie-in-the-sky notions. | The privately educated former investment banker has also recently been criticised for comments that were seen, particularly on the left, as being cut off from real life. When a row erupted over his cuts to housing benefits, Macron suggested that if asked nicely, landlords might lower their rents. Critics slammed him for pie-in-the-sky notions. |
| When another row erupted this month over Macron allegedly disparaging striking workers, he was criticised for making an offhand suggestion that workers in danger of losing their jobs could simply travel 140km for work somewhere else. | When another row erupted this month over Macron allegedly disparaging striking workers, he was criticised for making an offhand suggestion that workers in danger of losing their jobs could simply travel 140km for work somewhere else. |
| Macron’s key aim with Sunday night’s TV appearance is to convince the public of the next phase in what he promises will be a “profound transformation” of France. After overhauling labour laws, his next focus is the unemployment benefits system. | Macron’s key aim with Sunday night’s TV appearance is to convince the public of the next phase in what he promises will be a “profound transformation” of France. After overhauling labour laws, his next focus is the unemployment benefits system. |
| He is expected to argue that pro-business changes can also bring better protections for French people. While his poll ratings are better on the right, he wants to win back leftwing voters who backed him in the presidential race but are now turning away. | He is expected to argue that pro-business changes can also bring better protections for French people. While his poll ratings are better on the right, he wants to win back leftwing voters who backed him in the presidential race but are now turning away. |
| Macron is trying to shed the label he set out for himself before the election – that he could be like Jupiter, the Roman god of gods, a lofty figure speaking little in public. This notion of distance from the fray was modelled on previous presidents Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand, but he is now seeking to prove he is not deliberately cutting himself off. | Macron is trying to shed the label he set out for himself before the election – that he could be like Jupiter, the Roman god of gods, a lofty figure speaking little in public. This notion of distance from the fray was modelled on previous presidents Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand, but he is now seeking to prove he is not deliberately cutting himself off. |
| “When I am with French people, I am not aloof, because I belong to them,” he told the German magazine Der Spiegel this weekend, adding that he was not “arrogant” but “determined”. | “When I am with French people, I am not aloof, because I belong to them,” he told the German magazine Der Spiegel this weekend, adding that he was not “arrogant” but “determined”. |
| Insisting he did not see himself as a kind of republican king, he added: “France is a country of regicidal monarchists. It is a paradox: the French want to elect a king, but they would like to be able to overthrow him whenever they want.” |