Ten points of consensus lost since he became president and an even lower popularity than that of his predecessor François Hollande at the same time in office: it is the return more difficult for Emmanuel Macron, who does not take advantage of the effect of France's victory at the World Cup (which instead in 1998 earned Chirac a peak of 67%) and reaches the lowest point of consensus since May 2017, when was elected to the Elysée with 66% of the votes in the ballot with Marine Le Pen. Beyond the high-sounding result of that second round that consecrated him president at just 39 years of age, Macron's popularity, measured by pollsters, had never gone beyond 41%: today, however, it is 31%, i.e. not even one French out of three is satisfied with his conduct.
The summer, apart from the World Cup, had a negative effect on the image of the leader of En Marche: despite the holiday break and an economy that all in all shows signs of continuity in the recovery, the Benalla scandal weighed on Macron, the personal bodyguard caught on TV beating protesters in a couple of marches and then removed, and the farewell of two ministers, probably a symptom of growing discontent within the government. In fact, the popularity of Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has also dropped to 40% and it is no coincidence that within a week Nicolas Hulot, Minister of Ecology and a very popular figure in France, and the former fencing champion and Minister of Sport Laura Flessel. Not two key dicasteries, but both were the two ministers of the so-called civil society, much loved personalities beyond the Alps who however turned their backs on the young president. The same was done today by spokesman Bruno Roger-Petit.
And now, that wasn't enough, the hottest topics are back on the table. September is historically a delicate month and Macron knows it well, given that last year these days the Loi Travail was discussed and then passed, the French-style Jobs Act that unleashed a wave of strikes throughout France. This time the dossiers are multiple. It starts from the budget law, with Paris which still has the problem of bringing the deficit back to 2,3% of GDP. Then the clash over Europe will get rough again, with the French president who, fresh from a tough battle with Italy at the beginning of the summer on the issue of migrants, has taken on the role of leader of anti-populism: not it will be easy, given that almost everywhere the populists hold or grow, while figures like Macron, balanced but not very politically exposed, apparently not convincing.
The 2019 European Championships will be decisive in this sense, but first the tenant of the Elysée will have to solve some problems at home: the most awaited reform is that of pensions, announced during the electoral campaign a year and a half ago and still on standby. Macron does not want to touch the retirement age (which in France is generally 62 for most categories) but to introduce a bonus system, which however is not yet clear in terms of modalities. For this reason, a High Commissioner for pension reform has been appointed, who will have to deliver the bill within a few weeks or months at the latest. The promise was to start the reform from 2019.
On the table is also the poverty plan: promised a year ago and not yet realized, now is more than ever the time to do it. It will be a package that will involve work, welfare, health, housing, training, including various types of subsidies and bonuses. The unemployment benefit is also to be discussed, another great promise of the electoral campaign, and a new malus bonus system to penalize companies that abuse fixed-term contracts. Many things, some of which have been dragging on for months, and which Macron is now forced to face quickly and brilliantly, in order not to become the least loved president by the French.
