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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Macron ‘denying reality’ – French Senate leader | Macron ‘denying reality’ – French Senate leader |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Gerard Larcher believes the French president is failing to tackle key domestic issues | Gerard Larcher believes the French president is failing to tackle key domestic issues |
| The leader of the French Senate has openly criticized Emmanuel Macron’s leadership, claiming the president is out of touch with reality and the daily concerns of the population. | |
| In an interview with La Tribune newspaper on Sunday, Gerard Larcher was asked to assess Macron’s track record, almost seven years into his presidency. | |
| “It’s disappointing. I have the impression that we don’t perceive the same country, that we don’t feel same France,” the politician responded, listing several issues to “illustrate Emmanuel Macron’s denial of reality.” | “It’s disappointing. I have the impression that we don’t perceive the same country, that we don’t feel same France,” the politician responded, listing several issues to “illustrate Emmanuel Macron’s denial of reality.” |
| He noted a significant decline in school teaching quality, citing the latest PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) study which ranked French teenagers 26th in science and mathematics, and 29th in reading comprehension. | |
| “It’s not just a story of money and resources. There is a problem of transmission of values, respect for the authority of the teacher, preservation of secularism, particularly among the public,” Larcher argued. | “It’s not just a story of money and resources. There is a problem of transmission of values, respect for the authority of the teacher, preservation of secularism, particularly among the public,” Larcher argued. |
| He also pointed to healthcare, saying it remains “a very big concern for the French” with the hospital system becoming increasingly “bureaucratized.” | |
| “Although we are the country with the highest rate of public spending, our health system has deteriorated profoundly,” the Senate president noted, adding that with hospitals staffed with 34% non-medical administrative personnel, millions of French people are forced to seek private medical care every year. | |
| Larcher also pointed to a lack of “state authority,” with an escalation of street violence, urban unrest, drug trafficking, defiance of law enforcement, and an overall deterioration of the country’s crime landscape. | Larcher also pointed to a lack of “state authority,” with an escalation of street violence, urban unrest, drug trafficking, defiance of law enforcement, and an overall deterioration of the country’s crime landscape. |
| “All of this creates distrust. I’m not saying the government hasn’t tried. I’m not saying it’s simple. But this prohibits any exercise of self-satisfaction,” the Senate leader concluded. | “All of this creates distrust. I’m not saying the government hasn’t tried. I’m not saying it’s simple. But this prohibits any exercise of self-satisfaction,” the Senate leader concluded. |
| Emmanuel Macron first came to power in 2017, defeating right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen. He was re-elected in 2022, promising “a new method of governance,” arguing that the French are “tired of reforms which come from above.” | |
| His tenure has seen frequent waves of public unrest, notably the 2023 protests against pension reforms that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. | His tenure has seen frequent waves of public unrest, notably the 2023 protests against pension reforms that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. |