Rayane Jibre
Rayane Jibre is a student at Harvard College, Class of 2028.
Title Photo : Speech by Emmanuel Macron at the Sorbonne, September 26, 2017.
Credits Photo : Elysée, https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2017/09/26/initiative-pour-l-europe-discours-d-emmanuel-macron-pour-une-europe-souveraine-unie-democratique
A Vision for France?
Fueled by a taste for risk and a renewed ambition for both France and the European Union, Emmanuel Macron—still a relatively unknown figure in 2016—embarked on what many considered unthinkable: a run for the presidency. With the launch of his movement, En Marche, he set out to reinvent the way politics was done in France. Rejecting traditional party loyalties in favor of the common good, he called for a coalition that transcended the old left-right divide. From this emerged the now-famous en même temps—or “at once”—a phrase that has come to define Macronism. To some, it was little more than a convenient smokescreen for an unclear agenda; to others, it reflected a political philosophy unshackled from old ideological lines. At just 39 years old, Macron became in 2017 the youngest president in the history of the Fifth Republic, elected in a contest that saw France’s two dominant parties shut out of the second round for the first time ever. Five years later, he won a second term—something no president had achieved since Jacques Chirac. Yet this new mandate unfolds against a backdrop of rising distrust in democratic institutions, fueled by populist movements and growing discontent with presidential authority. It now seems both timely and necessary to take stock of Macron’s eight years in office: to examine their coherence, identify key turning points, and consider the future they outline for France. Only then can the criticisms leveled at him be fairly weighed.
A Mixed Record
Not all of Macron’s promises have been fulfilled—far from it. But any assessment must also acknowledge the progress made during his presidency.
Domestically, the unemployment rate fell in 2022 to its lowest level since 2008.1 This drop was the result of several initiatives, including the “1 Young person, 1 Solution” plan, hiring incentives, support for business activity, major investments in innovation and startups, and a 2021 reform of unemployment insurance. Unemployment—once a dominant theme in political discourse—has since faded from national political debate. But that success has given way to new concerns: namely, job insecurity. Even with a general increase in purchasing power since 2017—bolstered by measures like the abolition of the housing tax—many French people continue to struggle with inflation and the challenge of earning a decent living from their work. Much of the criticism Macron now faces centers on this issue. Moreover, many of the jobs created have been fixed-term or involuntary part-time contracts, offering little long-term security or economic mobility.
On the industrial front, efforts to boost competitiveness have shown results. Cuts to production taxes, lighter tax burdens for households, and the launch of the France 2030 investment plan have contributed to a notable reversal: for the first time in thirty years, France is opening more factories than it is closing. Yet this revival remains uneven, as some regions continue to suffer from underinvestment and stubbornly high unemployment.
Environmental progress has also been mixed. The government introduced a range of measures—from MaPrimeRénov, which supports energy-efficient home renovations, to financial incentives for cleaner vehicles and a revival of nuclear energy, with six new EPR2 reactors announced in 2022. France is now cutting its greenhouse gas emissions at twice the pace seen before 2017.2 Still, many believe these efforts fall short. Critics argue the nuclear reboot should have come earlier, and at the current rate, the goals set under the Paris Agreement appear out of reach. Meanwhile, ongoing subsidies for fossil fuels and exemptions for certain pesticides have raised doubts about the government’s ecological credibility.
3On education, Macron’s presidency has seen notable reforms. The baccalauréat was restructured to allow greater flexibility, replacing rigid academic tracks with a system where students choose three specializations—expanding their options for higher education and career paths. Efforts to promote equal opportunity included doubling paternity leave, halving class sizes in early grades in priority education areas, and launching the Pass Culture initiative. Teachers received modest salary increases—ranging from €100 to €500 per month—but compensation remains well below OECD averages. In 2024, a newly qualified secondary school teacher in France earned €30,935 in gross annual salary, compared to €61,457 in Germany4. This stark disparity—essentially a two-to-one ratio—points to the scale of the challenge. Meanwhile, the outcomes speak for themselves: in 2023, France ranked last in the EU for fourth-grade math, and in 2024, it came last in English proficiency.5 A deeply concerning state of affairs in a world where competitiveness and connectivity are only growing.
A Steady Course Through the Pandemic
Following the launch of the Ségur de la Santé—which brought significant investment in public hospitals and improved compensation for healthcare workers—Emmanuel Macron was soon confronted with the gravest health and economic crisis since 1929. Faced with this unprecedented challenge, he chose a path of ‘whatever it takes’: an extraordinary mobilization of public resources to protect the population and soften the economic shock of the pandemic. This approach translated into concrete measures: €1 meals for students, expanded furlough schemes, sweeping business support via state-backed loans, and the rollout of the France Relance recovery plan.
Still, it was not without its detractors. Critics from across the political spectrum—particularly at the extremes—denounced the response as hesitant, costly, and chaotic. The Cour des comptes itself underscored the state’s lack of preparedness, citing insufficient intensive care capacity and calling for a rethink of how such services are funded. The government’s crisis management also leaned heavily on private consulting firms, with nearly one billion euros spent in 2021 alone—raising concerns over transparency and accountability.6 Yet when viewed in context, what real alternatives were on offer? What credible course of action did Macron’s critics propose, amid global paralysis and pervasive uncertainty? Should the population have been left to weather the storm alone in the name of fiscal discipline? Or was it, in that moment, the state’s responsibility to act as a shield?
The dilemma was clear: protect workers, students, and businesses—even at the cost of ballooning public spending—or adopt a hands-off approach, leaving society to absorb the full brunt of the crisis.
Undoubtedly, the ‘whatever it takes’ came at a cost. By 2024, France’s public debt had surged to 113% of GDP,7 fueling concerns about long-term fiscal sustainability. But such consequences were the foreseeable outcome of a conscious political decision. Extraordinary circumstances demanded extraordinary measures. Measures that reflected a particular vision of the State: as protector, as guarantor of resilience, as an agent of action—and ultimately, as the embodiment of a robust and demanding form of national solidarity.
Pragmatism in the Face of Populism
In the wake of the pandemic, it is little surprise that Emmanuel Macron positioned himself as a champion of fiscal responsibility, launching a new round of reforms to that end. Chief among them was the pension reform, which raised the legal retirement age from 62 to 64. The move ignited fierce backlash, sparking nationwide protests and reigniting tensions reminiscent of the Yellow Vest movement. Yet Macron framed the reform as a matter of responsibility—an essential step, he argued, to safeguard the long-term viability of France’s social model in the face of demographic aging and rising life expectancy. In his view, France, like many other European countries—including those governed by the left—could no longer afford to postpone the inevitable. The Élysée also insisted that beyond its necessity, the reform was fair. It accounted for the arduousness of certain professions, allowed for early retirement in cases of long careers or medical hardship, and aimed to uphold generational equity.
Still, opposition was overwhelming. By January 2023, nearly three-quarters of the French public opposed the reform. The government’s use of Article 49.3 to pass the bill without a parliamentary vote was widely condemned as a democratic breach, further stoking public anger. Even on substance, the reform’s merits came under scrutiny: the Cour des comptes questioned its long-term effectiveness, noting that any improvement to the pension system’s financial balance would likely taper off after 2032—raising doubts about the durability of the expected savings.
On law and order, Macron pursued a resolutely security-oriented agenda, recruiting 10,000 additional police officers and gendarmes, and increasing the justice budget by 30%—an effort without precedent in recent decades. On immigration, he resisted the drift toward the far right. He avoided essentialist or exclusionary rhetoric, opting instead for a more balanced approach: firm in upholding the law, yet open toward those who contribute to the country’s vitality—through work, study, or civic participation.
A Renewal of International Relations
From his Sorbonne speech in 2017 onward, Emmanuel Macron cast himself as one of Europe’s foremost advocates for a more sovereign and strategic European Union—while reaffirming France’s historic alliance with the United States. Clear-eyed about shifting global dynamics, he pursued a vision of a reinvented Europe, grounded in new partnerships, particularly with the Mediterranean region and Africa.
The recent evolution of Franco-Moroccan relations offers a compelling case in point. For years, diplomatic tensions simmered over France’s ambiguous position on the issue of Western Sahara. Morocco—a long-standing ally—made no secret of its frustration with France’s reluctance to fully endorse its autonomy plan, first submitted to the United Nations in 2007 and widely viewed as the only realistic path toward a diplomatic resolution. As King Mohammed VI put it, Western Sahara is “the prism through which Morocco views its international relationships.” When Spain, the former colonial power in the region, publicly backed Morocco’s plan in 2022, it became increasingly untenable for France to maintain its studied neutrality. On July 30, 2024, Macron brought an end to this decades-long ambiguity by formally recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the territory—a move he conveyed directly to King Mohammed VI. The gesture carried both symbolic and political weight, setting the stage for a lasting thaw in bilateral ties. Macron’s October 2024 state visit to Rabat was marked by warmth and ceremony, sealing a renewed “exceptional partnership” between the two countries.
Morocco, as a stable and influential player, represents a new generation of African powers—confident, pragmatic, and capable of engaging with major nations on equal terms. This ‘win-win’ model reflects the broader aspirations of many African states: not a relationship clouded by condescension or post-colonial nostalgia, but one rooted in mutual respect, shared interests, and forward-looking ambition.
In an era marked by the rise of extremism and nationalist retrenchment, France has a distinct role to play: to champion a humanist vision of international relations—principled, resolute, yet infused with hope and purpose. Macron is right to sound the alarm—and right to call, alongside his European counterparts, for a serious reckoning with the future of European defense. The European Union can meet this historic moment, if it chooses to, and does so together.
- Le Monde, Le taux de chômage, au plus bas depuis 2008, enregistre une légère baisse au premier trimestre 2022, 17 mai 2022, https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2022/05/17/le-taux-de-chomage-au-plus-bas-depuis-2008-enregistre-une-legere-baisse-au-premier-trimestre-2022_6126433_3234.html ↩︎
- Le Figaro, France : les émissions de gaz à effet de serre ont reculé de 2,5 % en 2022, 3 avril 2023, https://www.lefigaro.fr/sciences/france-les-emissions-de-gaz-a-effet-de-serre-ont-recule-de-2-5-en-2022-20230403 ↩︎
- Vie Publique, Enseignants français : des salaires en stagnation selon l’OCDE, 12 septembre 2023, https://www.vie-publique.fr/en-bref/295319-enseignants-francais-des-salaires-en-stagnation-selon-ocde ↩︎
- Le Point, La France touche le fond en mathématiques, 4 décembre 2024, https://www.lepoint.fr/education/la-france-touche-le-fond-en-mathematiques-04-12-2024-2577112_3584.php#11 ↩︎
- EF Education First, EF English Proficiency Index 2024, https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/ ↩︎
- Le Monde, Polémique sur les cabinets de conseil : toutes les enquêtes et révélations, consulté en avril 2025, https://www.lemonde.fr/polemique-sur-les-cabinets-de-conseil/ ↩︎
- Le Figaro, La dette de la France atteint le niveau stratosphérique de 3303 milliards d’euros, 20 décembre 2024, https://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/la-dette-de-la-france-atteint-le-niveau-stratospherique-de-3303-milliards-d-euros-20241220 ↩︎