What Macron’s State of the Union address means for France

by Dramelin 3:30 AM 0 comments

Known as a `general policy statement`, the speech may also conclude with an optional confidence vote.
This is risky as failure by the National Assembly to endorse Philippe`s statement would lead to the collapse of his government under the French Constitution.
However, validation would provide the government with a stronger mandate to drive ahead with reforms.
The government may be willing to take this gamble given the broad support Macron`s La Republique En March (LREM) movement received in presidential and parliamentary elections this year.
However, analysts have suggested that LREM`s popularity among lawmakers may not be as far reaching as hoped and such a vote could be unwise.
"You`ve had two consecutive presidents now who have come in with a grand reform agenda and have got absolutely nowhere.
Macron looks like maybe he`ll be more successful but his party is already a coalition, he`s already taken from the left and the right," James Athey, global fund manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, told CNBC Tuesday.
"There really isn`t much of it that you can really say, hand on heart, the entirety of his recently cobbled together party are really going to go for.
" Philippe is due to make his speech at 3pm C.
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