The ongoing protests in France have turned President Emmanuel Macron’s domestic and foreign policy into a subject of renewed debate. Rising living costs, social inequality and the discontent of various segments of society are increasing the pressure on the authorities. The economic and social reforms carried out during Macron’s presidency were not unanimously welcomed by society. The repeated protests show that discontent in the country has still not been overcome.
What changes have occurred in France’s socio-economic situation during Macron’s presidency? Why do the reforms he has carried out cause serious discontent among certain segments of society?
Political analyst Agshin Karimov, speaking to Globalinfo.az, said that France has historically been one of the countries where revolutionary movements were widespread and that this tradition continues today:
“At present, the manifestations of that tradition are showing themselves in a harsher form.
Rather than what is happening in France’s domestic policy, attention should be focused on the failure of its foreign policy concept. Because the failure of France’s foreign policy strategy can be assessed in several directions.
First, the AUKUS pact signed in 2021 between the US, the UK and Australia dealt a serious blow to France’s positions in the Indo-Pacific region.
Second, although France sought to present itself as one of Europe’s main power centres through its position on the Ukraine conflict, it was unable to fully achieve the goals it set.
Third, France’s failure to build a correct strategy in its South Caucasus policy created the conditions for its rivals to squeeze it out in the region.
Fourth, the funds allocated to foreign policy also have certain effects inside the country. The more money is spent on military and political operations abroad, the more problems such as inflationary pressures and rising prices remain on the domestic economic agenda.
In such circumstances, the French public is expressing its discontent over the ineffectiveness of Emmanuel Macron’s policy through unrest and protest actions. Along with this, the possibility of foreign interference in the protests in France is also among the issues that need to be investigated.
However, looking at historical traditions and the failures France has faced in foreign policy, we see that the causes of the existing discontent are broader. On the other hand, pressure on Emmanuel Macron from both right- and left-wing political forces within the country creates additional problems for his rule.
On the eve of the next elections, candidates will make extensive use of Emmanuel Macron’s previous policy in their campaigning. They will come out with promises such as “We will not pursue this policy, we will implement a better policy.” Thus, the mistakes made during Macron’s presidency will become one of the main topics of discussion in election campaigns”.
Safura Bannayeva
Globalinfo.az
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