Deutsche Welle. France 2’s recent 40-minute interview with Emmanuel Macron got underway in the president’s office. Macron wasted no time in telling the reporter from the French public broadcaster that he works hard and sleeps very little. The subtext of his statement was that his power has not only been legitimated through his electoral victory in May, but also though his tireless work and total dedication to the well-being of the French citizenry.
In the interview, Macron referred to the French as “my people” — through not everyone welcomed his language. Some, like French newspaper Le Monde, thought this language had a somewhat grandiose quality to it, reminding it of French monarch Louis XIV, the so-called Sun King who sought absolute power during his 72-year reign. Thus, the paper’s description of Macron as a “republican monarch.”
This label appears to capture what other observes also criticized about this recent TV interview. Many were irked by the interview’s mix of quasi-monarchic and quotidian themes. The TV segment used the Elysee palace as a majestic backdrop for this interview with a worldly, young and energetic French president. The president’s advisers surely aimed to curate this exact mix of themes, hoping to woo viewers.
While striding through the palace’s elegant halls, Macron confided that he wanted to discover “France’s destiny.” This grandiose claim was ridiculed online. And yet, Macron’s style does seem to resonate with many. Le Monde concluded that, in terms of politics overall, “The French people welcome a certain degree of political authority”.
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Photo – DW