Not just vaccines. All of Macron’s pre-election moves
Macron continues to move by governing right and left issues in a transversal way not only on vaccines but also on social and economic issues, thus liquidating the competition. However, the actual electoral campaign has not yet begun. Enrico Martial's point
President Macron's ninth televised address at 8 pm since the start of the pandemic has changed a bit in style, no longer just as political leadership and national reassurance, but now also electoral. On the "government" side, he addressed health problems and economic challenges. As a candidate he occupied a public space, in full legitimacy and however obscuring all the others.
Just today, eleven candidates in the presidential elections of the republican and extreme right – from Xavier Bertrand to Marine le Pen – went to pay tribute to De Gaulle, on the occasion of the 51st since his death, mostly in Colombay-les-Deux- Eglises. They ended up very deep both in the evening news and in the chronicles of online and print newspapers.
Thus, in government posture, Emmanuel Macron made announcements on the pandemic and then on the economic level. The idea is to relaunch the third dose for people over the age of 65, for whom from December 15 it will be essential for their green pass to remain valid. Also in December, a third dose campaign will start for people between 50 and 64 years old, as well as for those who have been vaccinated for more than six months: currently more than 80% of people in intensive care are over the age of 50.
In the speech, there were calls to responsibility, even towards the six million citizens who have not yet received any dose, while the 40% increase in cases in a single week is worrying. From December, the first treatment medicines for the most serious cases will arrive in Europe, alongside the vaccination tool.
Macron then listed the results obtained in responding to the social and economic damage of the pandemic: non-repayable grants, recovery plans, programs for young people (income, training, employment), for the fragile categories, for productive sectors. The French growth exceeds 6% (like the Italian one), unemployment is at the lowest levels of the last 15 years.
The positive sequence has already resounded in previous speeches, to reassure and strengthen national cohesion on the "common battle": today it also has an electoral value.
The French president has brought three arguments with political relevance that end up attenuating above all the voices on his right. It announced that it will resume building RPR-type nuclear power plants, as already anticipated with the “France 2030” investment plan. The subject is dear to the numerous presidential candidates of the Républicains, who are insisting on it.
In addition, in the first quarter of 2021, a law will give new and additional tools to law enforcement agencies, while simplifying some procedures.
Finally, four will no longer be enough but six months of work will be needed to obtain unemployment benefits. In addition, the national employment agency (Pôle Emploi) will suspend subsidies to those who, despite being unemployed, have refused a job offer.
At the same time, there are reasons for indignation on the left, tempered however by the deployment of many tools for social support, training, or support for young people, such as the “1 young person, 1 solution” plan, listed promptly in the speech. The pension reform is postponed, and with it the possible tensions and strikes. Macron made a defense of principle, on fairness, to remove the special and super-remunerated ones, on intergenerational solidarity, to retire later. With his gaze to the left and in a social approach, he recalled both the goal of one thousand euros as a minimum pension, and that from 1 November the new regime for agricultural pensioners entered into force, which will have a minimum of 1035 euros. monthly.
Macron continues to move "at the same time", governing left and right issues across the board and thus liquidating the competition. However, the actual electoral campaign has not yet begun.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/non-solo-vaccini-tutte-le-mosse-pre-elettorali-di-macron/ on Wed, 10 Nov 2021 07:21:42 +0000.