Draft:Macronade

French President Emmanuel Macron

Macronade is a French neologism used to describe or criticize certain expressions made by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron. This term refers to expressions or soundbites delivered during press interviews, on television, or in public speeches. The term "macronade" became popular in 2016 when Emmanuel Macron was Minister of Economy under President François Hollande and the term was used to describe the Minister's soundbites and comments, which were synonymous with nonsense (âneries). Although some "macronades" or unfortunate expressions may have been regretted by Emmanuel Macron at the beginning of his presidency, their use has become more widespread throughout his time in office. Before him, another French political figure, former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, was known for similar soundbites, which were called "raffarinades".

Context

Before running for the presidential election and being elected President of the French Republic in May 2017, Emmanuel Macron served as Minister of Economy, Industry, and Digital Affairs from August 2014 to August 2016 in the second Valls government, under President François Hollande. During his tenure, he stood out for his harsh criticism of civil servants, sharply opposed the bill on stripping nationality against the principle of government solidarity, and referred to the female workers at the Breton Gad factory as illiterate in an interview. He also bluntly dismissed the protests and negotiations against 2016 labour reform, stating that "this debate is not a priority". At the time, his remarks were considered unorthodox, breaking with government solidarity, and seen as foolish. His comment about the illiterate female workers sparked an outcry, forcing Macron to visit the factory to meet the workers and apologize. During an exchange with CGT trade union activists in May 2016, he declared, "You’re not going to make me cry with your T-shirt. The best way to afford a suit is to work." His remarks sparked outrage: a phrase that immediately triggered reactions on social media, with the hashtag #UntshirtpourMacron ("A t-shirt for Macron") appearing on X. Feminist activist Caroline de Haas responded sarcastically by suggesting creating a T-shirt with the hashtag #JeSuisMépris ("I am disdain"). Macron later criticized these indignant reactions as "demagogic," stating that "our country will succeed by enabling everyone to work." When he resigned from the government in August 2016 to run for the 2017 presidential election, the term "macronade" gained popularity in the press.

During his presidential campaign, he frequently used expressions and soundbites that were seen as breaking with traditional political language and symbolizing plain speaking. His phrase "En même temps," (lit. "At the same time") which he often used during his campaign to promote his party as being "both right and left," became one of his signature expressions and was picked up by political commentators. However, the phrase was later mocked to describe a policy that, by attempting to transcend and unite political divisions, ultimately pleased no one.

Examples

In the media, the term "macronade" has undergone changes: Initially characterized as a blunder or an unfortunate statement, it was later embraced by his supporters as a symbol of outspokenness. However, over time, it has also come to be associated with perceptions of class condescension and arrogance.

• During a visit to a rescue center in Brittany, referring to Comorian migrants taking refuge in Mayotte island, June 2017: "The kwassa-kwassa doesn't catch much fish, it brings Comorians, that's different." Secretary of the French Communist Party, Pierre Laurent, denounced the comments as unworthy, while Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing political movement La France Insoumise, criticized them as "classist contempt." Meanwhile, the Representative Council of French people of Comorian origin described the President's remarks as "racist and dehumanizing." Later, in response to the outrage provoked by his remarks, the presidency of the Republic acknowledged in a statement that this comment was "completely regrettable and inappropriate." The newspaper Libération sharply criticized Macron's attitude regarding these comments: "Galvanized by his near-flawless performance on the international stage this week, between the G7 and his firm stance against Putin, did Emmanuel Macron feel so all-powerful that he thought he could get away with anything? It's very likely. Perhaps, by locking down his communication and leaving no room for spontaneity, his entourage and himself created the conditions for this 'meltdown'."

• During an exchange with entrepreneurs at Station F in Paris, June 2017: "A train station is a place where you meet people who have succeeded and people who are nothing."
• During a trip to Bucharest, August 2017: "France is not a reformable country. Many have tried and failed because the French hate reforms."
• On October 15, 2017, during an interview with the German newspaper Der Spiegel, he defended himself against accusations of arrogance and contempt. When the German journalist pointed out that "So far, modesty has not been considered one of your most notable qualities," the French president replied, "I am not arrogant. I say and do what I like." During the interview, the president went on to assert, "I do not see myself as a king... but the role of president is not a normal function, one must understand this when occupying it."
• During a speech to the French community in Athens, August 2017: "I will not give in, neither to idlers, nor to cynics, nor to extremes."
• During an exchange at the Maison de l'Amérique Latine in Paris, reacting to the Benalla affair, July 2018: "I'm responsible, let them come and get me!"
• About redistribution policies in France during an off-the-record conversation, June 2018: "Those who are born poor stay poor. We must make the poor take responsibility so they can get out of poverty."
• During a state visit to Denmark, August 2018: "What is possible is linked to a culture, a people marked by their own history. These Lutheran [Danish] people, who have lived through the transformations of recent years, are not exactly Gauls who are resistant to change." In response to the outcry, the President said, "We need to take a bit of distance from the controversy and social media" and argued it was a "humorous remark."
• During the Heritage Days at the Élysée Palace, to an unemployed horticulturist, September 2018: "I cross the street and find you a job."
• Ironising about the media coverage of the Yellow Vest movement in January 2019: "Jojo with a yellow vest has the same status as a minister or a deputy!" The figure of "Jojo" as a representation of the average French person is frequently referenced by President Macron. In his rhetoric, this characterizes the "ordinary" French citizen, hailing from the middle class and living in suburban France. During the Yellow Vest movement, the presidential discourse contrasted this "Jojo" with the political elite. Emmanuel Macron expressed frustration over the media's focus on the protesters' demands at the expense of the government's message. He sarcastically remarked that an ordinary French citizen had "the same status as a minister," which sparked widespread outrage and even public condemnation from the Académie Française.
• During an exchange at the Paris-Saclay University, regarding criticism of his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic: "We have become a nation of 66 million prosecutors."
• In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper about the health pass, in January 2022: "I really want to piss off the unvaccinated. And we will continue to do so until the end."
• During a trip to Isère, regarding the press revelations about his clientelism with the company Uber, July 2022: "As one of my predecessors would say, It [the criticism] touches one of them [his balls] without nudging the other [ball]." He is alluding to a statement made by former French President Jacques Chirac in 1987. The remark sparked controversy and was criticized as crude and lacking substantive rebuttal.
• On August 24, 2022, during a meeting of the Council of Ministers, Macron stated: "What we are experiencing is akin to a major shift. It's the end of abundance." This declaration sparked widespread controversy amid inflation, rising energy and food prices, and opposition to increasing the minimum wage. Macron was criticized for this statement, seen as disconnected from the reality of many citizens. In 2018, he had previously ordered 1,200 porcelain plates totaling €500,000 and insisted on building a swimming pool at the presidential summer residence, further contributing to the perception of being out of touch.
• During the presidential New Year's Eve address, December 31, 2022: "Who could have predicted the spectacular effects of the climate crisis this summer in our country?"
• At the beginning of the protests against the pension reform, February 2023: "It's always the same people, give or take a few tens of thousands, who protest."
• Regarding the protests against the pension reform, March 2023: "The crowd has no legitimacy in the face of the people, who express themselves sovereignly through their elected representatives. Mobs do not prevail over the representatives of the people. (…) We cannot accept either factious people or factions."
• During a trip to Alsace, still about the protests: "I don't think they are looking to talk, they are looking to make noise."
• In April 2023, with an ironic tone and still referring to the pension reform and the protesters who demonstrated by banging on pots and pans, Macron said: "It's not pots and pans that will move France forward."
• In August 2023, referring to the presidential term limit reduced to two terms by Nicolas Sarkozy, Macron said: "Not being able to be re-elected is a disastrous stupidity."
• On June 18, 2024, during the commemorations of the Appeal of 18 June on the island of Sein, Brittany, and amidst the snap legislative election campaign, Macron, in a conversation with retirees, remarked: "There are completely absurd things [in the New Popular Front's programme], like changing one's sex at the town hall!" This statement caused shock and scandal: the first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, condemned the remarks, saying they added fuel to the fire. Referring to Emmanuel Macron's self-description as a "Jupiterian" president: "We expected Jupiter, but we got Nero!" Even members of Macron's own party criticized such comments: former Transport Minister Clément Beaune stated on X that "For trans people, for LGBT people, for everyone... We must reject all stigmatization in political discourse and advance rights." The association SOS Homophobie, which fights against LGBT discrimination, denounced it as "a political maneuver to appeal to the far-right electorate." For Green Party senator Mélanie Vogel, "Macron wallows in crude transphobia." As for Communist Party secretary Fabien Roussel, he accused the president of losing his temper.