French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron. |Photo provided by: Reuters
In his New Year’s address to the nation, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that his decision to dissolve parliament, which plunged France into a political crisis, had backfired.
“We must recognize tonight that the dissolution has so far caused more divisions in the (national) parliament than the French solution,” he said on Tuesday, adding: “I will do everything in my power to achieve that.” he added.
This was almost the same situation as the French leader apologized for his decision in June that led to early parliamentary elections. They created a hung parliament, with parliament roughly divided into three major bitterly opposed blocs, none of which could control a majority on their own.
Macron has since had to replace three prime ministers – Gabriel Attal, Michel Barnier and current prime minister François Bayrou – to find a consensus builder who might be able to bridge the gap in parliament. I had to. Build your budget and avoid the risk of further government collapse.
Mr Macron expressed hope that MPs would form a provisional majority to pass the bill, saying: “Our government should be able to follow a path of compromise to get things done.”
His speech began on a lighter note, with a throwback to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, which temporarily shifted focus from France’s political woes.
“This year, together, we proved that the impossible is not impossible in France,” Macron said as he played highlights from the tournament. They “showed a wildly free France, full of boldness and dignity,” he said.
Mr Macron also celebrated the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, which was beautifully rebuilt after a devastating fire in 2019 that destroyed its spire and reduced its roof to ashes. He called the rebuilt monument “a symbol of France’s will.”
Some revelers who gathered on Paris’s Champs-Elysées to watch a show of music, video and fireworks ushering in 2025 said they were hopeful of a brighter outlook for France.
“The current situation with parliament being dissolved, a bit of a chaotic situation, and the war in Ukraine and everything that’s going on in the world has been complicated. It’s a bit worrying,” he said from the Normandy region west of Paris with his wife Angelique. said Xavier Lepuz, who traveled there.
“We want a peaceful and calm situation,” she said. “Seeing the joy and happiness in people’s hearts and faces. It feels like everyone is in a bad mood every day, so we really need positivity.”
issued – January 2, 2025 6:28am IST
