Macron vs Omicron: a leader who cares about the fatigue of French voters

Emmanuel Macron’s performance in the Covid-19 epidemic has seen him win a second term as French President – but his supporters are worried he will lose his leadership as Omicron’s disease reaches its peak and people are tired of two difficult years.

“We are at a crossroads where people are sick because of the ban. Things could go well for him,” said a French industrialist who assisted Macron in 2017 and wants to win the April election. “He thinks the problem should no longer be prohibited.”

As Macron prepares to announce his candidacy for re-election, his government is struggling to reduce the pressure on hospitals from Covid patients, as it faces the growing demand for a ban on the spread of the virus.

Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday announced that some of Covid’s laws would be renewed next month, even though the number of new cases exceeded 400,000 a day, according to the health ministry.

Until recently, voters were instrumental in helping Macron deal with the epidemic. The coronavirus emergency in early 2020 ceased to be a state of emergency “yellow clothes” protests that disrupted his leadership. Following the initial error in the availability of masks and tests, the President was commended for his staff funding program and business and the decision to reopen schools after the first wave.

His bet last summer to push the vaccine through a “health certificate”, with proof of vaccination or the latest Covid-19 tests needed to find common ground, paid off as well. It urged millions more to accept the jab, saving 4,000 lives and € 6bn in financial services, according to a study by researchers in Bruegel and the French Council of Economic Analysis.

The government has changed the license to a “vaccination ticket”, a false test has not been approved, and following Macron’s statement this month that it wants to do so. “Provoke the uncircumcised to anger”another 1m people did their first game.

That deliberate provocative remark, however, prompted critics to reconsider allegations that Macron was arrogant and inconsistent with the concerns of the common people.

The damage Omicron played with French schools has added to public dissatisfaction, with teachers and parents complaining about difficult rules for testing and isolation. As Macron provided his vision about the future of the EU speaking in Strasbourg this week, his government is trying to calm the anger, provide medical masks and reduce testing and isolation.

Protests by teachers’ unions on Thursday followed a strike last week in which about 80,000 people gathered at international conferences. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer was forced to apologize for going on holiday in Ibiza at the end of December – though he did not break the law – protesters said his actions were evidence of government security crackdown on students returning to January.

Ifop recently mind has shown public confidence in the end of the government in the fight against the epidemic has dropped by 9 percent to 41 percent since the beginning of December. Macron’s popularity has dropped by four points since November, with 40% positive about its reputation, according to a January 12 survey from Ipsos.

“Going back to school after the Christmas holidays was confusing and frustrating for many – all because of exhaustion from health problems,” said political analyst Chloé Morin.

But experts say Omicron’s political impact is difficult to predict. Diseases and hospitals are still on the rise but daily hospital admissions were about 6 percent lower last week compared to last week.

“At Macron camp, they expect that in three weeks or so, the current tide will be over and people will be fine, and when spring comes they will forget all about it,” Morin said. “But it is also possible that there is one or more distortions that further confuse things.”

Vincent Martigny, a professor of political science at the University of Nice, said Macron’s chances “would depend on how people deal with Omicron and whether the government changes its policies to deal with the epidemic.

Omicron also drew attention to issues such as migration and crime that have been on the rise since last summer. Valerie Pécressethe presidential candidate for the Conservative Party of Les Républicains, and two from the right Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmourhave had to struggle to adjust their thinking to the places they love.

Macron is voting for about 25 percent of the initial voting intentions, compared to 18 percent for Le Pen, 16 percent for Pécresse and 11.5 percent for Zemmour, according to a recent report. Ifop research.

Although Covid’s fatigue will not dampen Macron’s chances in the coming weeks, he faces other issues.

The issue that sparked the protests by gilets jaunes in 2018 – the price of motor fuel – has come back to the government because rising fuel prices are pushing for higher fuel prices over the next decade. Meanwhile, a lack of gas all over Europe has increased the cost of heating.

Macron responds to voters’ concerns by announcing that they will spend more on legal aid and increase home mortgage debt by 4 percent this year. destroying revenues of a powerful EDF-controlled group.

He is also trying to get Pécresse – to be voted out by the majority a fierce rival if they all get to the second stage – inconsistent with showing the difference between their LR supporters on everything from vaccination regime to France’s position in the EU.

This uncertainty has left even politicians who have been afraid to predict Macron’s fortunes. “She is ahead of the vote,” said Morin, “but not against it.”