As Macron goes full dictator, will the EU condemn France’s slide from democracy? Don’t count on it
Both the optics and the practical reality of Macron’s decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by decree are disastrous, and they represent not just a loss of legitimacy for Macron but likely also for Brussels.
Macron, however, knows the EU will make no move to condemn his country, slap him with sanctions, or call out the “democratic deficit” in France despite his naked display of power.
It is also true that Macron technically has the power, according to the constitution, to bypass parliament, but it ultimately raises questions about whether France can even be called a democracy, especially when it relates to an agenda that the French public are passionately opposed to.
Between 72 percent and 75 percent of the country was opposed to pension reform.
Not only that, the French clearly want more, not less, democratic input when it comes to pension reform, with 75 percent saying they want a referendum on the issue. A whopping 78 percent are against Macron using Article 49.3 of the constitution to unilaterally push through pension reform.
The public backlash to Macron has been palpable, with hundreds if not thousands of arrests already made across the country following his dictatorial decree.
This brings us to Viktor Orbán. His country, Hungary, is currently facing rule-of-law sanctions from the EU worth billions over so-called democratic deficits and backsliding, yet he remains immensely popular in his country. His approval is still hovering over 50 percent, while Macron lingers at 26 percent.
Nothing will change with the EU’s stance toward France because it is not about morality, and it is not about democracy — it is about power. It is about punishing your enemies and rewarding your friends.
Macron is a friend of the liberal establishment that runs Brussels, and behind these power brokers are billions of euros, NGOs, and a media empire backing more power for Brussels. Macron is on board with that agenda, and Orbán is not.
The black-and-white reality of police violence and anti-democratic measures in France may be staring all of Europe in the face.
The people of Hungary are not facing police batons after protesting a massively unpopular authoritarian decree from their leader, and Hungary’s working-class are not facing tear gas, protest bans, and other forms of repression.
The EU will continue to masquerade as a democratic institution and use “democracy” as a buzzword because this word has power and helps the EU pursue its agenda of centralization.
The EU is full of little Macrons, after all — a technocratic elite that are privately disdainful of “democracy” but know they can say this word, along with words like “racism” and “disinformation,” to get the midwits on board with their agenda.
As critics have pointed out for years, the EU itself lacks any real democracy, with both the European Council and European Commission, the two real power centers in Brussels, not having a single elected member among their ranks.