The unfortunately prolonged intensity of the crisis-economic downturn of the French economy caused by the attempt to tackle the pandemic is so strong that it raises deep concerns among the citizens of France. In summary, we can get a picture of the intensity of this recession from the French Government’s estimates.
The intense power of the crisis-economic downturn of the French economy
The French Government for 2020 provides for:
- a 10% fall in annual GDP,
- General government budget deficit at 10,2% of GDP.
- increase in General Government debt to 117,5% of GDP
- increase in public expenditure in the General Government budget to 62,8% of GDP.
by T.C.
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Accordingly, the French Government for 2021 provides for:
- annual GDP growth of 8%,
- reduction of the General Government’s debt to 116,2% of GDP,
- reducing the government budget deficit of the General Government to 6,7% of GDP.
And all these predictions do not consider the second and possibly third wave respectively of the Covid-19 pandemic and the chances of implementing corresponding generalized lockdown measures to limit the spread of the pandemic in which case will deepen further the economic recession.
According to the results of a recent poll-research by the French newspaper “Le Monde” conducted annually in collaboration with a polling company and political studies centers, a change in the mentality of French citizens is outlined. More specifically:
- 60% of French citizens see globalisation as a threat to the French economy and only 40% of them as an opportunity.
- 65% of French citizens believe that France should implement greater measures of economic protectionism for the development of French industry. On the other hand, only 35% of French citizens believe in laissez faire – laissez passer.
- 60% of the French are calling for protectionist measures to be implemented. Only 39% of the French believe that the solution lies in liberalizing economic transactions and conquering new markets.
- 53% of French people have an exceptionally good view of France’s membership of the EU. On the contrary, 43% believe or have a negative or extremely negative view.
- 78% of French people believe their country is in decline. Only 30% of respondents have a positive view of their country’s outlook.
LREM’s failure to convince the French electorate that represents something different
At the same time, the La Republique en Marche (LREM) party led by French President Emmanuel Macron has received disappointing results in recent elections to the French Senate and since the first round of elections. At the same time, there are constant departures of its executives, and it has shown a disappointing showing in recent municipal elections.
The problem that the party (LREM) is constantly bringing these disappointing results lies in the way of its creation based mainly on the personality of its leader (Emmanuel Macron) which in theory should act as the necessary magnet that will collect executives from all political places.
On the other hand, the attempt by the current President of France to present himself as the leader representing the implementation of social justice policies that adapts his current reality policies each time has not brought the appropriate results to the electorate.
At the same time, LREM lacks the production of ideas that will create an ideological framework that gives a clear signal as to what this party stands for; LREM’s attachment to the Liberal party in the European elections, while today Emmanuel Macron is adapting his whole strategy to how to extract percentages from the conservative party (LR) show that LREM does not have a specific ideological background that inspires French society.
It relies more on its leader’s political tactics that adapt each time to current political circumstances to “weave” short-term political gains.
In conjunction with the above-mentioned results of the poll-research of Le Monde newspaper, the frustration of French citizens with the liberal economy and society and with their increasingly eyes turning to protectionism and dynamic leadership that will bring France’s glory back to the fore, will in future lead French society to choose dogmatic ideologies and nationalist parties by creating a brake on the development of both the French economy and the French Republic.
Political parties and especially parties of executive power should listen to the changes of the times and create a compact ideology that emerges through ideological confrontations in order to create a robust ideological framework that shows where society and the country’s economy in general want to go. Only then do they ensure the timelessness of their political footprint in society and only then do they longevity on the political scene.
