French elections turmoil: Macron sidelined in campaign struggle
Politico notes that President Emmanuel Macron has not publicly appeared for nearly two weeks. This is due to his allies' reluctance to allow the president to participate in the election campaign.
The president did not appear on television after the first round of parliamentary elections, which ended with a far-right victory. The only communication from him was a brief statement issued by the Élysée Palace, recalls Politico.
"And the reality is his allies don’t want him on the campaign trail: Macron’s face is even being removed from campaign literature," reads Thursday's article in Politico.
"He was told to stop [campaigning] … And it’s not really that he heard our message, it’s more that he was forced to hear it," said an anonymous representative of the president's Renaissance party in an interview with the service. He added that the president "underestimated how much the public were turned off by his personality."
In recent weeks, several key politicians from the Renaissance party have expressed the opinion that Macron should withdraw from the campaign. One of his most important allies described it as a necessary "demacronisation."
Has Macron's image already worn out?
"One minister even admitted on public television that Macron’s image was "worn out," the service reports.
However, according to Politico, Macron will not disappear for long. On Sunday, when the scale of the National Rally's victory will be known, the president will have to decide on the prime minister's choice.
"He will again take the lead as the guarantor of France’s institutions," said the previously quoted Renaissance politician. If the far-right wins a large majority, Macron will be pressured to appoint the leader of that party, Jordan Bardella, as head of government. Otherwise, the president may begin long-lasting talks about forming a coalition with current rivals on the left and right.
However, Politico assesses that it is hard to imagine that Macron's relations with his allies and public image can be repaired.
