French elections

Interesting that "Ode to Joy" was played as Macron arrived at the victory rally.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2Ey1fjHSws

Delighted and very relieved here; we will now proceed with our applications for French nationality.
Macron has a huge task on his hands and the outcome of the June elections will be critical, but he is clever and capable and I am cautiously optimistic.
The (rather prurient imo) interest in his private life is far greater in the UK media than in the French media as far as I can see.

The first references I saw about his wife were in the Uk press. Interestingly the age difference there is roughly the same as with the Trump marriage but people do not seem to find that so strange. I would say that Mme Macron looks much happier than Mrs Trump.

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion and I wonder how many people voted for him because Marine Le Pen would have undoubtedly been very devisive for the country. France has an uphill struggle and many problems as far as terrorism and unemployment are concerned, not to mention their desire to hang on to an unrealistic working week, what is 37 hours??? and a very early retirement age, by our standards at any rate. Not that I think it's a good thing that people have to work till they drop. The French come across as fiercly nationalistic, I was always noticed when I first started going there a lot how they fly their tricolor with pride, not for them the apologetic stance that is sometimes present here with the Union Jack or St George's flag. I like the way they have resisted their culture being watered down by an Americanisation of their towns, I love the fact they still retain the individual charcuteries and boulangeries. How Macron performs for them remains to be seen, I frequently email a French cousin and I think he voted for him with reservations, one being Marcron is ex Goldman Sachs Whether he does a good job for France remains to be seen, lets hope so, it's such a great place would like to see them on an upward tracjectory they have been languishing in the doldrums, moribund by un realistic labour laws for a long time now.

Farage and his Brexit cronies were routing for Le Pen to validate their hatred of the EU. One was tweeting about the French being overrun by the Nazis in 1940 and comparing it to the French voting for Macron as some sort of lily livered surrender.

A bit off topic, but this made me sit up a bit..

not to mention their desire to hang on to an unrealistic working week, what is 37 hours???

By whose criteria is this 'unrealistic'? Is there some divinely appointed optimum number of hours in a working week?

In an ideal world, yes a 37 hour weeks sounds ideal, a great working/home life balance. My children and many of their contemporaries would like a shorter working week, but depending on the industries they are working in that expectation is unrealistic, for example one son and partner work in publishing when there is a deadline for a publication date, then it's all hands to the pump, you can't just down tools at say 5.30 when officially the working day ends, with "well I've done my 40 hours this week bye!"

I know nothing about French politics so can't comment, however, why the obsession with the fact his wife is older than him? Every article you read mentions her age. I haven't noticed that the age of Theresa May's or Angela Merkel's partners are mentioned in every article about them. So she is older, why can't people just get over it. Perhaps a GN in France can tell me whether the French press are as obsessed with her age.

I wonder if Macron will address the issue of Muslims, mainly from the former French colonies in North Africa.

The French are fiercely proud of their "secularity", but in reality it's used as an excuse for sweeping discrimination of people of non-Christian religions under the carpet.

The French claim that there is no discrimination, because it's illegal to record a person's religion in censuses, etc so they have no official figures. Therefore, there are no official integration policies - they're all French, as far as people are concerned.

Unfortunately, there is discrimination against people of North African (and other) heritage in France. Anybody who has ever been to the 'banlieues' (suburbs) around major cities can see that. With the recent terrorist acts in France and banning of the burka, etc, I fear that terrorism and racism is going to get worse, unless it's addressed.

Thank goodness Macron won.

Apparently Madam Macron is going to 'work for free' in the government.......another bloody dynasty, all these hangers on and she does hang on to him, I find it rather creepy. Why is Teresa we don't see much of Mr May and have to suffer them slobbering all over each other.

I am disappointed but not surprised it is him a former banker and someone keen on the EU, people are afraid of real changes and like children are just voting in the least scary options now.

Shamefully I shall be the same as currently we have no real choices, only people who say things differently.

I was interested to see the French interest in their election, with thousands out on the street. If only we were as politically involved as a nation.

radicalnan Have you ever objected to the role American first ladies play in supporting their husbands?

France is going to play a bigger part in the EU when the UK's gone and have a vested interest in making it successful, as has the relationship France with Germany for over 60 years. The two countries have been at war with each other for much of the last thousand years, so they really appreciate what peace and co-operation mean. It doesn't mean that either has lost its identity - it just means they've grown up politically.

I was so pleased that "Ode to Joy" rather than "La Marseillaise" was played as Macron walked up to the winning podium.

It was similar to the US election. A choice between a right wing, austerity supporting candidate or a far right wing, off the wall candidate. France made the better choice but it is still not a good choice.

Gaggi I agree but nearly 1 million additional voters have registered to vote for these election, most of them young or youngish so it may not be the foregone conclusion that people are expecting.

Another reminder for people with children, grandchildren or friends, who are eligible to vote for the first time:

www.yourvotematters.co.uk/can-i-vote/students

Macron is not right-wing he is centrist. He is not "austerity supporting", he is in favour of opening up business and making it easier for people to start and run businesses of all sizes. There are some areas of the state that need modernising and rationalising, but there is no sense in which the importance of the state in serving the people of France will be diminished. This is a country where the state works for the people, it does not exist to put money into the hands of private companies. There are significant problems of employment, especially in rural areas, the poorer suburbs of big cities and post-industrial areas, but we have a wonderful health service, a very good transport network and good local services.
As we have said before, the French press is not obsessed with the age of his wife.

Macron has already said that he will make it. Easier for people to start a business and to employ people. At the moment the employer has to pay so much in taxes that it puts them off employing anyone.
Sunseeker - the French press are not so interested in the age difference at all - they are more obsessed with the UK's Royal Family etc!

Farage and his dreadful brexit group attack Macron.

www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/07/british-brexit-supporters-insult-emmanuel-macron-after-presidential-win

I know that plenty of decent people voted Leave but it has always puzzled me that they were not alarmed about the company they were keeping - Trump, Putin, Marine le Pen. Every decent world leader supported Remain. Was that ever reported in the gutter press?

Christinefranc
Well for sure he likes the older woman so TM should find him a 'piece of cake'Play her cards right she will have him eating out of her hand.

Eeewww! What a horrible thought!

It will be interesting to see who he chooses to support him.

The Socialist Party under Holland has an approval rating of 4% and whilst Macron did give up his membership of the Socialist Party he did work in their government under both Hollande and Manuel Valls.

Could it be much of the same old, same old with a slightly different twist?

Macrons background of being pro EU, ex Rothschild investment banker makes me think he will one day be President of the European Union Commission. I am going to see if any bookies will take a bet.

The Daily Mirror's front page from 5 July 1945 - still so relevant.

It ends with "Remember the issues. They are national not personal. Your own interest, the future of your children, the welfare of the whole country demand that today you do your duty to VOTE".

Daphnedill
Well there is always Frau Merkel on the sidelines?
Perish the thought.

Just found this article which gives the Manifesto of Macron. Some very interesting policies here - looking at it many people will see the equivalent of their Council tax halved or at least greatly reduced!

Link: www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/What-Emmanuel-Macron-is-promising-for-next-five-years?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=email_this&utm_source=email

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What do you mean by "same old same old" POGS? You have said that before and it puzzled me then. It is true that the attempts of the Hollande / Valls régime to open up the labour market foundered, but they did achieve some reform. The CGT union has lost a lot of members and the Parti Socialiste candidate crashed to 6% in the first round of the election so it may be that there is more will in the population for change. I think Macron is much too canny to find his allies in the PS. The moderate group of Bayrou is more likely.