‘Not the same as before’: What happened to Macron?
French President Emmanuel Macron’s reputation as the
continent’s idealist is long gone. Now Macron is seen as the main mood-stealer,
writes Politico.
As European Union (EU) leaders search for a strategy to deal
with existential crises — from curbing the rise of the far right to avoiding a
bad deal on Ukraine between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin — they can no
longer rely on Macron’s grandiose ideas.
Politico spoke to 10 EU diplomats and officials, who spoke
on condition of anonymity because they were open about the French president’s
political career. According to them, problems at home and a focus on legacy
have made the 47-year-old centrist a drag on progress rather than a driving
force.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s
proposed “drone wall” to protect European skies from Russian drones
increasingly entering EU airspace is unrealistic, the French leader said.
And European Council President Antonio Costa’s idea to
simplify the EU accession process by removing the need for unanimous consent?
No, France will not give up its veto.
So maybe we can make our planet a great place to live again?
Maybe someday. But now is not the time for a due diligence directive that would
require companies to monitor their international suppliers for human rights
abuses and environmental protection. Let alone 2040 climate change targets.
In recent months, Macron has become more cautious,
criticizing proposals that could provoke a backlash in France and even more
suspicious of proposals that he does not control, while France has focused on
cutting red tape.
In recent weeks, the French leader has been demanding
tighter immigration controls and a reduction in bureaucracy, pushing through
new rules to ban children from using social media, and calling for exemptions
for carmakers from meeting their environmental targets. These are hardly the
issues that are really relevant to Europe at the moment.
“This Macron is caught up in his own problems,” said an EU
diplomat. “He is no longer the great defender of Europe he once was.”
Not the same person at all
When it comes to the changes in the EU over the past decade,
Macron has been praised for his influence and insight. In 2017, at the
Sorbonne, he made a strong case for a stronger Europe that is less dependent on
international partners, both in manufacturing and in defense.
His call fell on deaf ears. Instead, today the EC and the
bloc’s leaders are singing Macron’s “strategic autonomy” anthem, trying to
diversify their countries and distance themselves from China and strengthen the
continent’s defense capabilities, amid the threat of potential Russian
aggression and the US reducing its commitments to defend Europe.
Macron has earned the nickname of the EU’s Chief Expert, and
the multitude of initiatives and ideas for reforming Europe he proposed at the
beginning of his term have solidified his status as a world-class leader.
However, now, in October 2025, it has become clear that
politics and legacy play a large role in Macron’s plans.
Just look at the enlargement of the EU.
Macron has long been seen as a supporter of accepting new
members into the EU in order to increase the bloc’s economic and geopolitical
influence. He initiated the creation of the European Political Community as a
kind of waiting room for countries wishing to join the EU in 2022, and a year
later promised to admit candidate countries to the bloc “as soon as possible.”
It is therefore not surprising that Macron’s allies have
found it difficult to understand France’s decision to oppose Costa’s proposal
to lift Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s veto on some parts of the
accession process. A senior member of Macron’s Renewing Europe group in the
European Parliament (EP) said the move was a complete contradiction of his
previous commitments.
“This is a fundamental mistake,” he said.
According to one of Macron’s key allies, the French
president simply does not have the political capital to back some of his
ambitions, especially those that feed eurosceptics and Marine Le Pen’s
far-right National Rally.
“This is not the right moment, the far right is breathing
down our necks,” he said. “Any talk of Albania and Montenegro joining the EU is
a gift to M. Le Pen.”
The Macron
ally added that French farmers would be the first to take to the streets to
protest against the entry of agricultural giant Ukraine to the EU.
Fading influence
His influence in Brussels has waned due to the chaos in
France. Macron has replaced five prime ministers in less than two years and was
almost forced to look for a sixth when his current choice, Sebastien Lecornu,
resigned just 14 hours after announcing the new government. The French president
eventually reappointed Lecornu, and the crisis subsided, at least for a time.
While several French governments have held similar views on
EU issues, the fact that they have all failed has reduced France’s influence in
Brussels.
“If you don’t have a functioning government for a year and a
half, it reduces your influence in decision-making a bit,” an EU diplomat
observed.
He added that this situation makes ministerial meetings
difficult.
As Macron approaches the twilight of his presidency, he may
still have some grandiose plans for Europe, but his ability to turn dreams into
reality is effectively gone.
Even if the French president somehow manages to get out of
the political crisis, form a solid government and approve a budget, those
working in Brussels’ institutions and embassies will find themselves faced with
the depressing reality that Macron’s influence has been significantly weakened
and his grand pro-European project has failed.
Foreign diplomats are already speaking of Macron in the past
tense and discussing his “legacy,” even though he is still expected to rule
France until 2027.
“He was special,” one of them told Politico.”
https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/world/visai-nebe-toks-kaip-anksciau-kas-nutiko-macronui-120165479
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