Protests in France: Macron's dangerous shift to the right

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Macron in a televised address on December 3

Photo: JB Autissier / imago images / PanoramiC

It was exactly four years ago that the incumbent Socialist President François Hollande announced that he would not run for a second time.

Hollande paved the way for a man who promised to fundamentally change France.

Emmanuel Macron was 38 years old, rather liberal, a former banker who wanted to reform the economy and do everything differently.

In May 2017 he actually became president, elected in the second ballot, among others, by citizens who wanted to prevent the right-wing populist Marine Le Pen.

But also by many who believed in Macron's promise of a liberal and centrist policy and wanted a fresh start.

In the past few weeks, these voters rubbed their eyes in amazement.

In the fall, the president had defended freedom of expression, including the freedom to publish unpleasant cartoons of Mohammed.

But now he allowed his interior minister to rush forward with a bill that would make filming police officers on duty a criminal offense.

Recordings that endanger the "physical or mental integrity" of individual officers should result in one year imprisonment and a fine.

That amounts to a massive encroachment on the freedom of the press.

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