Macron was elected almost by chance, by a French mechanism which allows people to become “real” presidents of France with only 24% of votes.
The political death of Monsieur Fillon – who had the habit of giving his wife public money – made Macron president at the expense of an embarrassing Le Pen.
All this happened on April 2017. Almost a century ago. Before Trump, Austria and Salvini-Di Maio. There had been only Brexit – but they’re British, n’est-ce pas?
It seemed like France was free of that populism invading Europe, caused by the globalization’s damages to middle classes.
Until a lady wearing a yellow jacket – maybe after she had had a puncture – posted on Facebook that the limitations to her Euro 2 vehicle would have been unbearable and that she would have protested. And, suddenly, petrol caught fire and French populism started to set France on fire. And it has been doing so for 6 weeks now – it is known that when French people revolt, they do it for real. Two examples: 1789 and 1968 revolutions.
We can’t know how it’s going to end.
For the moment, Macron has put on the table 100 euros – imitating Renzi’s 80 euros –, some small taxes for rich people, other actions to support poor people, no increase in petrol’s costs and his approval to Euro 2, 3 and 4 vehicles – not giving a damn about ecology.
Let’s see what the yellow jackets will say and do.
Anyway, populism has entered the revolutions’ land. And it’s going to cause massacres.
Sometimes it seems to me that things are going better in Italy where populism has been represented by Mr Grillo for 10 years and now it is “governing”. It has melted with that of Salvini’s party – which has been existing on the political scene for 20 years – and it is aware that it can shout at immigrants and black people, but not at Italian companies and other powerful entities.
Therefore, it seems like the Italian chaos is a happy place if compared with France.
