World News: Macron Faces Vote of No Confidence Over COVID-19 Crisis, Economy, Lockdown

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Category: World News - Europe

Published on Monday, 11 May 2020 11:49

Written by Janet Walker

Among the first observations linked to the health crisis of COVID-19, the acceleration of political time. While in France the presidential election will not take place until May 2022, the electoral campaign could suddenly gain unexpected speed. Explanations.

After the coming summer period, the muted music of the presidential campaign will begin to resonate, albeit muted. The most detached from French political life will argue that the 2022 deadline is still far away, but the most alert and the most politically invested will remind the public that it is time to think about it now. But why so much precipitation?

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Because since the beginning of the global health crisis, and the human, social and economic consequences that we know, political time has suddenly and radically accelerated. Hitherto rocked by the hum of an economy advancing at a senator's train, regularly seeing its unemployment rate fall in an encouraging way, thereby objectively validating the policy initiated by the executive which however pretended not to see emerging new ties, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron was killed in mid-flight by a virus from China.

Comments and Confinement

Between improbability and amazement, the President of the Republic, Prime Minister and Government tried to face the situation by carrying out a massive confinement which did not stop generating comments and discussions.

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We will now have to face the aftermath, that is to say the reaction in the medium and long term of the French, deprived of all human relations for two months, even for some (and it is to be feared a lot) of jobs and d short term future.

Does this mean that in France, a regicide country, heads will, figuratively speaking, fall? What Emmanuel Macron thought was an Act II of a peaceful, even comfortable five-year term, capable of digesting the reforms underway and gently preparing for a potential future presidential campaign, will perhaps turn into an end.

Everything lends itself to it: the deterioration of the economic environment, an insidious virus because far from being eradicated, controversies by the dozens on masks, hospital reception capacities, the return of students to educational establishments ... .In short !

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Nothing will be missing to soap the board of the Elysée tenant. First designated fuse, the Prime Minister. But nothing confirms or denies it. He will have his spell sealed according to the success or failure of the deconfinement. Everything seems to be there to ensure a resounding electoral defeat in the forms of sanctions

Sacred Union and Prophet

But it is also likely that the vacuity and the mediocrity of the proposals put forward by the opposition, the ideological weakness of the President's direct competitors, the national health emergency, the sacred union around Covid-19, the President Macron's action at European level to save everything that could still be saved, on the other hand, are objective weapons capable of reducing the share of responsibilities of the executive.

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Other elements that could play in its favor, the fact that never in history has such a truly unprecedented health crisis had shaken the world and that the President of the Republic and Government acted under the aegis of a scientific council can - be too alarmist for some, too cautious for others. Only the future will tell.

Another element, the fact that in parallel, slowly but surely, the responsibility of China in the spread of the virus will certainly be evoked and certainly established in the post-COVID-19 period. Thus, a prophet would be the one who will be able to say today what the state of mind of the French will be in the months to come.

One thing is certain, on the other hand, the COVID-19, beyond the societal changes it has generated, has also modified the relationship that many of us have with politics which visibly has, in fine, little means in the face of Nature.

Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist, recognized blogger, editor, and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, a press and publishing consultant, and a communications consultant.