A Macron sympathizer: "He is not forgiven for being Don Perfecto"

In the prosperous city of Cholet, with 50,000 inhabitants, there is almost no unemployment.

Not many problems either.

It is a typical French inland town, with its restored baroque cathedral, its old carousel in the square, its restaurants full of families on Sundays and its streets almost empty on rainy and somewhat dreary weekends.

On Mondays, however, the roundabouts are filled with cars going from one place to another in the industrial belt that surrounds the town.

Cholet has, however, a characteristic of its own, which it shares with other cities in the nearby province of Vendée: its wealth and its adherence to Emmanuel Macron.

The current President of the Republic obtained in this city, in the second round of the presidential election, in April 2022, 70% of the votes.

All this army of

The majority attend with astonishment and alarm at the images of the general protest against the law that extends retirement from 62 to 64 years and that is taking place every day with more intensity and violence throughout the country, with streets littered with rubbish , unemployed refineries, closed roads, clashes that result in serious injuries and trains running at half throttle.

A new day of protest is scheduled for this Tuesday the 28th, with demonstrations in the main cities that many fear will end in serious riots.

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, has planned an unprecedented police force: 13,000 agents, 5,500 deployed in Paris.

What do the peaceful and calm Macron supporters in Cholet think of all this?

At Vincent Coupry's veterinary clinic, three neighbors meet and immediately start practicing one of France's national sports: talking about politics.

Vincent, 56 years old, dressed in the clinic's purple uniform, with long gray hair, friendly and a good conversationalist, is the first to comment.

He always voted for the socialists and if he supported - and does support - Macron it is for a reason that he considers indisputable: “There is no one else.

He has made mistakes, but there is no charismatic and capable leader on the moderate right, nor on the moderate left.

Those who do not like Macron go to extremes.

And that's where we are."

The second in the meeting is Vincent's wife.

Her name is Catherine Canals-Coupry, she is 59 years old, she is an engineer, works in the water pipeline and was a candidate in 2021 for Macron's party,

Renaissance (Renaissance) for the provincial elections.

Lost.

When asked if he agrees with the law that lengthens the retirement age, he answers: “It is something that has to be done: either work more, or receive less pension, or raise taxes.

Or we forever indebted our children.

They are the numbers that come out.

I understand the protests.

I believe in the right to demonstrate and in the right to strike, it would be missing more.

But not in the right to break or insult.

And I think Macron cannot go back: that would be agreeing with those who encourage the escalation of violence, those who want to behead the boss”.

Or we forever indebted our children.

They are the numbers that come out.

I understand the protests.

I believe in the right to demonstrate and in the right to strike, it would be missing more.

But not in the right to break or insult.

And I think Macron cannot go back: that would be agreeing with those who encourage the escalation of violence, those who want to behead the boss”.

Or we forever indebted our children.

They are the numbers that come out.

I understand the protests.

I believe in the right to demonstrate and in the right to strike, it would be missing more.

But not in the right to break or insult.

And I think Macron cannot go back: that would be agreeing with those who encourage the escalation of violence, those who want to behead the boss”.

The third attendee is Adrián Ricard, a 43-year-old engineer specializing in the construction of laboratory products.

He also stood in an election for Macron's party, the 2018 municipal elections. He did not win either.

He agrees with Catherine on the mathematical necessity of the reform, adding that it is an unpopular but necessary step.

Then she abhors the situation in France today: “There is 25% on the extreme right, 25% on the extreme left, 25% that ignores everything and a last 25% that supports the government.

And the four groups are all against each other, without speaking to each other and without paying the slightest attention”.

The three agree that they know people who have voted for Macron and who are now disappointed.

“The disappointment goes beyond the pension reform.

There is something else beyond: discomfort at work, and many looked to Macron for a complete change in their lives.

And when he begins to govern, and adopt concrete measures, disappointments come ”, explains Vincent.

Catherine adds: “He was someone young, who knew how to speak to young people.

But then they are disappointed because everything does not turn out as they had thought.

Also, one thing happens: Macron is Mr. Perfect, and Mr. Perfecto is not forgiven for anything”.

It's three o'clock.

Restaurants close.

On the terraces, in the sun, there are citizens who have a coffee or a beer.

On television they report on the strike on Tuesday.

In Cholet, 1,000 people will come out to demonstrate, if they are the same ones that came out in the call on Thursday the 23rd. All in all, many more than the 200 or 300 that come out every year to commemorate May 1st.

The deputy Denis Masséglia, in front of his office, in Cholet.

Javier Hernandez

Near the central square is the office of the Renaissance deputy for Cholet in the French Assembly Denis Masséglia.

Every week he leaves Paris to spend a day or two with his neighbors.

He does not agree with the way in which Macron approved the law to increase the retirement age, by decree, without a vote by parliamentarians.

“He is democratic, especially since he later passed two motions of no confidence.

But I would have preferred a vote.

I guess he did it because he risked losing.

And because of the impact that a rejection of the law could have on the financial markets.

He then adds: “The people who work like Macron and the party of him.

Work should not be criminalized.

Furthermore, the reform is simply necessary.

What is not bearable is the attitude of the extreme left, of Jean-Luc Mélenchon's party,

La France Unsubmissive, appealing to violence, using violence as a strategy, substituting violence for votes.

Or that of the political opportunism of the extreme right, which simply waits to obtain electoral gains.

Or the one on the moderate right, looking the other way, cowardly.”

Almost when saying goodbye, he says, with a certain bitterness: “I notice, more than the disappointment of Macron's voters, the radicalization of almost everyone: some very much against it, others very much in favor of it, and few in between.

And they all hit us and hit us because they hope to take our place when Macron leaves.

But then, as he says goodbye, he smiles with a little more optimism: "In short, I think it was Churchill who said that the United Kingdom is formed in order and France in disorder."

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