It's remarkable how unremarkable Macron is!

Macron with former president Hollande

Here's the thing about leaders like Modi and Trump. They are controversial, even genocidal some might argue(and rightly so). When you share the stage with those kind of leaders...hogging the limelight can be a very difficult thing to do. You can either be just as bad as them, like Boris Johnson. Or chart a different course at your own expense. Enter French president Emmanuel Macron. A former investment banker, and a self-proclaimed centrist. There's nothing that stands out in Macron's personality. I don't understand a word of French, but I can still make out that he's a bad orator. His demeanour is often tentative and he was quite literally manhandled by Trump on one occasion.

But Macron has his moments. His policies are largely popular(we'll get to the bad part later). And in an era of autocrats, Macron has been willing to spearhead moves aimed at diffusing tensions in theatres of conflict. And he's not afraid to be outspoken. It takes a lot of courage to call the NATO a 'brain-dead organisation'. He's taken on Brazil's Bolsonaro and Turkey's Erdogan, and more importantly come out unscathed from those battles. Truly a remarkable achievement. 

Yellow vest protesters

But all's not well for Macron at the moment. Within France he's facing one of the largest popular movements in 21st century Europe. And his foreign escapades have garnered some attention to. But as our ultra-nationalists keep saying, 'country first'. So let's talk about the domestic problem. Macron came to power with a promise to bring about sweeping economic reforms.

Yellow vest protesters

 As a member of former president Hollande's government, Macron had already started introducing some of these changes. After he took over, Macron has pushed on with it. But not without opposition. Opposition from a grassroots level movement of men and women wearing bright yellow vests, usually donned by construction workers. The yellow vests movement broadly stood against economic injustices. But they had some galvanising issues, like the wealth tax. Once in office, Macron repealed the wealth tax and replaced it with a tax on real estate. Big mistake! The wealth tax was hugely popular among the working class in France. And repealing it gave the impression the government was pro-rich. Fuel prices also rose considerably during this period. Thousands took to the streets, but Macron stuck it out. The protests crippled transport networks in major cities like Paris. But the president was unmoved. Today, the movement has largely fizzled out. But that's when Macron dropped his second major reform.

Protests against pension reforms

It's an unsaid rule in French politics - you don't touch pensions. But Macron decided to, anyway. And he's without a doubt burnt his hands. France has an extremely complicated pension system. But here's the gist of what Macron has done. He has decided to unify 42 pensions schemes into a single system based on points. The current scheme is extremely popular. For one, it accounts for the kind of work you do. A more demanding job like that of a train operator will fetch you the same amount of pension at an early age. 

Macron wants to unify France's 42 pension schemes

But under the new system, it's all about the points you accumulate. And you accumulate more points by working for more years. The age of retirement under the new scheme is 62 years. But you get a bonus for working for two more years. Effectively, a person in France will have to work until 64 years to receive a good pension. For a country like France that prides itself on its welfare system, this was too much to take. Workers' unions took to the streets and major cities including Paris were paralysed. 

There is merit in Macron's new plan. Popularity is not a justification for stupidity. Many experts do agree that France's pension plan needed reforms. This new one will benefit people who change professions mid-way. Women will also receive equal pension under this scheme(can't believe they are still contemplating this in 2020). As the government looks to firefight what is the second mass movement in the last few years, the president has gone missing. 

Macron with his firefighter PM Philippe

He has fronted prime minister Edourd Philippe to shore up his government's decision. For anyone unfamiliar with France's political system, the French PM is nowhere near as powerful as the president. Macron's only reaction was an appeal for calm during the holiday season. And when you think about it, that's the kind of guy Macron is. Looking for mediation, where decisiveness counts. And asking for a ceasefire when peoples' life-savings are in question. Not a wise move. 

On the international stage, Macron has become the negotiator-in-chief. From Ukraine to the Sahel, Macron has revealed his taste for foreign policy. And he has been successful. Along with Germany, Macron managed to bring Ukraine and Russia to the table. The summit ultimately led to a high-profile prisoner swap between the two countries. But there is ambiguity on his stance vis-a-vis Europe. Macron opposed the enlargement of the European Union, and effectively killed talks on the possible inclusion of Albania and North Macedonia(cheap shot). Combine this with his scepticism on NATO, and the question is - does Macron want a more closely knit EU that is devoid of U.S influence? An EU that can challenge the global hegemony of the U.S? 

Macron with Germany's Merkel

Macron's love-hate relation with Trump

Don't let his mumbling persona fool you. As I said in the beginning, this man can make some rather courageous moves. One such move was a digital tax on foreign tech companies operating on French soil. The likes of Twitter and Facebook are likely to be the most affected. Trump was furious. He loves Twitter, but not the man who runs it. The same can be said about Facebook. Trump is allowed to hate American tech companies, but no foreign country can even dream about doing that. U.S has retaliated with tariffs on French wine and cheese. You could argue that this is a needless trade war. Especially considering Trump has no clue how tariffs work. 

If you're wondering when the 'unnecessary foreign intervention' is coming...well, we're there. The Sahel, a stretch of land straddling western and central Africa. The countries in this region include Niger, Mali, Mauritiana, Chad, Burkina Faso, Ivory coast, Senegal and a couple of others. France is leading the U.N-mandated anti-terror operation in this region. Under Operation Barkhane, France has deployed close to 4,500 troops in the Sahel. If you're wondering why that's a big issue, take a look at that list of countries once again. Many of them have been French colonies in the past. And sending your troops to the country that you once ruled over illegally is not really a favourable 

message.

Macron with Sahel G5 leaders

To Macron's credit, he has largely stayed away from the politics of the region, and repeatedly denied charges of imperialism. But the move is distasteful due to the sheer optics of it. To be clear, it wasn't Macron who placed troops in the Sahel. That decision was taken before he came to power, back in 2014. But Macron has doubled down on troop deployment. For a foreign affairs-savvy Macron, the situation in the Sahel is exciting. But the problem is, he's nowhere close to winning the war. Militants have been gaining ground recently. France lost 13 soldiers in a helicopter crash in Mali while fighting militants. And Macron's response was to send more troops and American reaper drones. 

Macron with troops in West Africa

Macron is up for re-election in 2022. And despite the wave of protests and his 'hit or miss' diplomacy, Macron is expected to retain the presidency. This is because Macron represents a voice of reason in a world that's veering to the right. Europe too has been caught in this frenzy. Right wing parties are doing well in Germany. And Boris' Britain.....well, fill in the gaps. Macron defeated a hardliner named Marine Le Pen to claim the presidency. The election was literally a no-contest once Macron placed himself at the ideological centre of a country that has been far-left or far-right most times. Macron's centrism was the perfect choice for many who wanted a cocktail. 

At the end of the day, Macron is likable. He looks like an average Joe who rattles out unemotional speeches. But that's exactly who Macron is. A man who basks in how remarkably unremarkable he is. Nothing justifies this image of Macron than the picture of him at the FIFA World Cup. Cheering like a giddy school boy, as his team scored a goal. But maybe that's the balm an embattled and right-leaning Europe needs right now. 

Macron at football match Vs Croatia