Six months on, Macron unpopular but in control

Macron has called on EU member states to go much further in linking their economies, governments and armies, proposing a joint defence force, as well as new agencies for asylum and innovation and ideas for tax reform.

The Macron juggernaut has left little room for opposition.

Neither the unions nor the radical left Unbowed France (LFI) party managed to head off the labour reforms that took effect in September.

LFI head Jean-Luc Melenchon himself admitted recently: “For now, he has the upper hand.”

For its part, the far-right National Front of Marine Le Pen is still reeling from her rout at the hands of Macron and intense in-fighting.

But the woes of his opponents do little to boost Macron’s popularity as he struggles with charges of being the “president of the rich”.

The label has gained traction since he slashed a wealth tax while at the same time trimming housing benefits for students.

– Elections far off –

He hopes to correct the impression with changes that would benefit the middle class and the underprivileged, such as a lower social charges and residence taxes.

But Macron has come under fire for a series of comments seen as arrogant or out of touch.

Protesters seized on a remark directed at critics of his labour reforms, whom he called “slackers”, which spawned slogans such as “slackers of the world unite”.

Political scientist Bruno Cautres of the Cevipof think tank at Sciences Po university in Paris thinks that time is on Macron’s side.

No elections are slated until the European Parliament vote in 2019, while the economy is looking up, Cautres noted.

Besides, a recent poll found that one in two French are willing to give Macron more time to prove he is putting France on the right track.

But US news magazine Time took a tongue-in-cheek swipe at Macron’s seemingly outsized ambition.

On a recent cover the weekly billed Macron as “the next leader of Europe — if only he can lead France”.