Five big issues for Macron to tackle
PARIS: Emmanuel Macron, France’s new president, faces a daunting to-do list.
Unite France
The election revealed two Frances: one urban, more affluent and open to reform; the other concentrated in the northern rustbelt and rural areas that backed Macron’s far-right opponent Marine Le Pen or other anti-globalisation candidates.
Macron knows many of those who backed him over Le Pen in the second round picked him as “the lesser of two evils” and do not support his liberal, pro-business agenda.
Failure to produce results on jobs could further alienate those who feel neglected by the political class.
Secure a majority
Macron says his year-old Republique en Marche movement and government will be open to progressives of all stripes.
He aims to seal his presidential win with an outright majority in the June 11-18 parliamentary polls, but his fledgling party faces a tough task in replicating his extraordinary rise.
Reform the labour market
Like his Socialist predecessor Francois Hollande, Macron will be judged above all on employment.
French joblessness stands at 10% compared to an average of 8% across the EU and just 3.9% in neighbouring Germany.
Macron vowed during campaigning to use executive orders to force through reforms of France’s rigid labour laws.
But by bypassing parliament, he risks being drawn into a showdown with the country’s combative trade unions and sparking mass protests.
Manage terror threat
The killing of a policeman in Paris just three days before the first round of the presidential vote was a sobering reminder of the terror threat hanging over France.
With no previous experience in such matters, Macron has to move quickly to show he has a grip on the security challenges and his role as military commander-in-chief.
Drive EU reform
Macron sees a reinvigoration of the France-Germany alliance as crucial to relaunching the EU after Brexit and the migrant crisis.
His first trip abroad will take him to Berlin today to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
He also plans to visit other European capitals during his first months in charge to set out his fiveyear roadmap for closer eurozone integration and tackling issues such as the environment and migration. — AFP