The President’s rating of Makron fell by 10% in just a month: from 64% to 54%. This occurred immediately after the election, the downturn has become one of the strongest in history. And it happened before the adoption and entry into force of tough and unpopular measures… Most observers downplay the significance of this phenomenon and call it inevitable: after the euphoria of the election all come back down to earth. Whatever it was the disappearance of the “gracious” relationship to the presidency after the elections and a significant acceleration effect “of fatigue from power” cannot fail to intrigue. How to understand this?
The first explanation depends on the circumstances. The election campaign was accompanied by a series of monstrous scandals that have shaped people have a desire to see new faces. Whatever it was, the anger of the electorate has led to a chaotic situation in which the decision to vote for a particular candidate, rather, was a “contradiction” and were not attributable to support his convictions. Broke out a real political storm in which he mixed the cult of personality, selfish calculation, betrayal, loud statements, PR and improvisation. Paradoxically, but marching under the banner of renewal and rebuilding process created a sense of the same spaces where before criticized the old political system. Today, the French policy was at a dangerous impasse, out of which is still not visible.
The second explanation relates to the underlying motion, which led us to the current impasse. Since the mid 1970-ies the President’s numbers fell steadily, except for minor upgrades. They were at the level of 60-70% at the time of de Gaulle and Pompidou, and then gradually roll down, reaching a low of 13% at the end of the last mandate of the President. And this is a very serious moment. The logic of electing the President is based on a Covenant of trust between him and the people. The French feel cheated after every election. They thought they had elected a man who will enable them to cope with difficulties (security, education, immigration crisis, integration, unemployment, purchasing power, etc.), but that invariably those who are primarily concerned with their own image and the “mark in history”. The Prime Minister, government, Parliament — all of them were pushed into the shadows information the Shine of the head of state. They began to imitate him, to create the appearance, and not to engage in governance and reforms. The country was approved disappointment, and expose itself to the forefront of the President became the scapegoat of the national scale.
The General lack of understanding of the crisis of the presidents of France (as if the lessons of history are not present for anybody of interest) is one of the greatest anomalies of our time. What is a head of state from the point of view of the 1958 Constitution, its letter and spirit? Contrary to the behavior of our leaders for more than a decade, his task is not to gesticulate in front of the cameras, to create the appearance of hard work and issue causing controversy things. In fact, it needs to offer the country the course and look to the future, to become the symbol of its unity and destiny, to behave modestly (the source of true authority) and to set the example of Republican spirit, which puts the public interest above considerations of image. The key to success is clarity, understanding that in today’s complex world the individual is powerless, the ability to surround himself with an effective Prime Minister and competent Ministers who are not selected for political positions, but because of the unselfishness and ability to lead.
The current status of state institutions is also one of the reasons. Today we can see the harmful effects of the five-year term with the possibility of re-election and the parliamentary elections immediately after the presidential election. Seven years without re-election would be the best solution. In any case, the problem is extremely complex. How to restore public spirit, historical consciousness, sense of common fate and common interest that stands above narcissistic reasons? The question concerns change of mentality, the collective psychology, political culture. It all depends on the event and civilizational currents, which no doubt transcend generations.
