The president, speaking before ministers at the Elysee, said the country was at a “tipping point” and faced a difficult winter and a new era of instability caused by climate change and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His warning and somber speech, which was immediately criticized by opponents as poor judgment and snubbing the country’s already-sacrificing unemployed and poor, came after a summer of extreme temperatures, widespread wildfires, drought and storms. Macron said France and the French felt they were living through a series of crises, “each one worse than the last”. “What we’re living through right now is a kind of major tipping point or a great upheaval… we’re living through the end of what might have seemed like an age of abundance… the end of the abundance of technology products that seemed always available… the end of the abundance of land and of materials, including water,” he said. He thanked “our firefighters, elected representatives and farmers who have braved the fires and drought.” Macron added that France, Europe and the world were perhaps too “indifferent” about threats to democracy and human rights and the “rise of illiberal regimes and the strengthening of authoritarian regimes”. “This overview that I’m giving, the end of abundance, the end of unsuspiciousness, the end of affairs – it’s ultimately an inflection point that we’re going through that can lead to our citizens feeling very stressed. Against this, we have a duty, duties, the first of which is to speak honestly and clearly without obituaries,” he said. “When we talk about the end of plenty, I think of the millions of unemployed, the millions of those in a precarious situation,” said CGT union chief Philippe Martinez, pictured here in June 2022. Photo: Luc Nobout/ Zuma Press /Rex/Shutterstock Philippe Martinez, secretary general of the powerful CGT union, said Macron’s comments were “misguided” and that many in France had never known plenty. “When we talk about the end of plenty, I think of the millions of unemployed, the millions of those who are in a precarious situation. For many French people, times are already difficult, sacrifices have already been made,” Martinez said. The president’s warnings came as it was revealed that dividends paid by major French companies hit a record €44 billion in the second quarter of 2022, as a result of what were described as exceptional profits in 2021. Financial newspaper Les Echos reported that the dividend Payments were almost 33% up on the previous year and were the result of a post-Covid financial catch-up. Macron, who was re-elected for a second five-year term in April but lost his parliamentary majority in the next general election, and his government face a tough tenancy, the traditional September return to work and school after the long summer holidays in France. After months of back-to-back election campaigns, his newly appointed government had little time to consolidate before the holidays, putting this year’s return to parliamentary business under particular scrutiny. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The president, who leaves for a three-day visit to Algeria on Thursday, told ministers that measures to deal with the climate emergency and its consequences, as well as those focused on renewable energy, should be a priority this fall, and urged “general mobilization” to deal with it. The prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, is expected to give details of the new measures at the annual conference organized by Medef, the French employers’ federation, next Monday. Earlier this month, while attending a memorial service for Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of Provence in 1944, Macron said this autumn and winter would be difficult for the country, with the risk of energy shortages and high prices as a result of Russia. war in Ukraine, and that was “the price we had to pay for freedom.” Critics accused the president of not providing a clear goal for his second and final term. His government will need to forge alliances to ensure its 2023 budget passes a divided parliament, another tenant priority. The government also faces a battle to pass election manifesto measures, including changes to the unemployment benefits system and pensions, which will bring it into direct conflict with the left and unions, which strongly oppose the proposals. Bernard Sananès, of Elabe pollsters, said Macron was preparing the French for bad times. “It’s a kind of political expectation. If things get really difficult, the president should have called it in advance to avoid giving the impression that events have taken him and his government by surprise,” Sananes told AFP. French Communist Party leader Fabien Rousselle, a presidential candidate earlier this year, expressed surprise at Macron’s speech. “Unbelievable! As if the French had no worries and exaggerated themselves. We have 10 million poor people in France because of the carelessness of President Macron and the predatory behavior of the rich,” Rousselle wrote on Twitter.
