Macron alerts French voters against possible Le Pen presidency
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Macron whose popularity is dwindling among French voters warns against a more probable Le Pen presidency after polls showed that most French citizens oppose his pension reforms.
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French President Emmanuel Macron holds a conference during NATO's summit in Brussels, Belgium, 14 June 2021 (Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Marcon alerted voters on the possibility of Marine Le Pen taking power in the country in 2027 after he received heavy criticism over the recent pension reforms.
Macron believes that Le Pen "will arrive (in power) if we are unable to respond to the challenges of the country and if we introduce a habit of lying or denying reality."
The French people responded in fierce resistance to the new legislation that raised the age of retirement from 62 to 64.
Polls show that two-thirds of voters oppose the reforms, Macron's government pushed the law through parliament after Elisabeth Borne issued an executive order which bypassed the legislative body. Macron was described as undemocratic after triggering article 49.3.
"Perhaps the mistake was not being sufficiently present to give a substance to the reform and carry it myself," Macron said to Le Parisien newspaper while underlining his "confidence" who was put on the frontline of the political battle.
The President signed the reforms into law in the middle of the night after the Constitutional Council found them in line with France's constitution on April 14.
Yesterday, Marine Le Pen said during an interview with the BFMTV broadcaster, "The problem is that Emmanuel Macron got completely 'bunkerized,' he can no longer leave the Elysee without drawing the ire of the people who he refuses to listen to and whose will he refuses to respect."
"Emmanuel Macron is losing popularity because he does not respect the will of the people. If the people say they don't want this reform, then it must be put on hold!" she proclaimed.
On the other hand, french workers have promised mass mobilization on Labor Day on May 1 in a show of resistance to Macron's decision. The National Federation of Mines and Energy threatened to cut energy from the Cannes Film Festival and other events in France in defiance of the pension reforms.
The organization said in a statement, "Macron promised 100 days to restore peace, we promise him 100 days of actions and anger. In May, do what you please! The Cannes festival, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Roland-Garros tournament, the Avignon festival could end up in the dark."
