(Bloomberg) — Emmanuel Macron’s diminished mandate in France’s power-sharing government appears to be taking a toll on him.
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Macron’s tirade at his cabinet ministers, journalists and political analysts, accusing them of a “lack of intelligence” for leaking comments he made about Israel, has put the French president in the wrong this week.
“I was surprised to read many comments, comments, reactions, involving political leaders, foreigners or French, to the words I said, without people trying to find out what I really said,” said Macron, who seemed angry, told reporters. after the European Union summit.
Thursday night’s outburst revealed Macron’s deep frustrations on home soil, including a suggestion that he cannot trust his ministers. The president lost his parliamentary majority in an election he called this summer after opposition leader Marine Le Pen crushed Macron’s leaders in the European Parliament vote.
“I speak often enough about the situation in the Middle East that I don’t need a ventriloquist,” Macron said on Thursday. Although he did not deny the comments about Israel, he said they were distorted.
The dispute started after reports that Macron told a Cabinet meeting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not forget that Israel was created by a United Nations resolution.
The comments, which were cited by French media, deeply angered Netanyahu and sparked fire among the Jewish community group and some politicians.
Senate President Gerard Larcher, a conservative, said he was “surprised” by Macron’s comments and “ignorance” of history. A lawyer for Macron’s group, which includes French citizens in Israel, suggested that Macron was questioning the country’s existence.
Israel declared its independence in 1948 following a partition plan approved by the UN six months earlier, which defined the division of Palestine between Jews and Arabs.
Macron reiterated his support for Israel on Thursday, while saying that France has the right and responsibility not to always agree with Netanyahu. He criticized countries that called for a ceasefire in Gaza but continued to supply Israel with weapons.
He also threatened that he will stop holding press conferences if he is quoted against his will, saying that journalists must quote his words publicly.
Macron’s decision to call an early election led to two months of wrangling with the French left to name a prime minister, culminating in the appointment of incumbent Michel Barnier.
Barnier, a veteran politician who was the European Union’s Brexit negotiator, has made it clear that he wants to make his own case.
On Thursday, he went to Brussels like Macron – it is rare for French heads of state and government to be abroad at the same time – to attend an EU party meeting. It was a sign that European policy is a shared domain between the president and the prime minister.
The election result forced Macron to step back on domestic issues after establishing a power-sharing plan with hardliners including Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, a hard-line member of the government. Two cabinet members have threatened to resign over budget demands.
France’s 2025 budget could be a historic one as opposition parties could topple Barnier’s government if they come together in a confidence vote – giving Le Pen’s National Rally the power to topple the administration.
The National Rally’s financial wish list includes big tax breaks and share buybacks, increasing pressure on Barnier. National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy said Wednesday that his party will withhold a motion of confidence as long as the government does more to reduce debt and increase what he calls “fiscal justice.”
–Courtesy of Galit Altstein.
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