France Riots: Macron Calls for Return to Authority

Image copyright: Jacques Paquier/Flickr [via Wikimedia Commons]

The Spin

Right narrative

It's certain that Macron intended to deliver a positive message to an increasingly right-wing public on issues of immigration and security, but using such a conciliatory tone at such a troubled moment may indicate that he is only concerned about maintaining order in the short term. After all, his speech was merely more of the same rhetorical pacification that lacked any significant announcements about how causes of the unrest would be addressed.

Left narrative

Macron has once again bowed to pressure from the far-right. Instead of standing up to right-wing sentiment he has, implicitly, given a blank slate to such groups and legitimized some of their focus on cultural issues, particularly immigration and anti-Muslim sentiment. It's outrageous that the president has spoken out against teenagers protesting an unjust police killing while he remains silent over rising far-right violence across the country.

Metaculus Prediction


Political split

LEFT

RIGHT

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