Will Macron go "all-in" trying to get out of the "yellow vests" crisis and save his ratings, given that a referendum on the institutional structure of the country could play a trick on the president?
While awaiting the Élysée Palace's official statement, the right and left opposition already believe that everything will depend on the wording of the questions that will be submitted for the referendum. Sputnik has spoken with opposition representatives from the party National Rally (Rassemblement National).
Jean Messiha, a member of the National Bureau of the National Rally, a leading candidate in the list for the European Parliament elections (according to an OpinionWay-Tilder survey, conducted on 31 January by financial newspaper Les Echos and Radio Classique):
"This is a situation of political manipulation. Macron has found himself in a difficult position at the height of the ‘yellow vests' crisis… If a referendum is held, then the French will not have the opportunity to truly express their opinion, they will only confirm the wording chosen for them".
Thierry Mariani, a former minister in the government of Nicolas Sarkozy, joined the National Rally in the electoral list of Marin Le Pen on the eve of the elections to the European Parliament. He also fears the "endorsement" referendum:
"This would be a new form of a referendum, where you only ask questions for which there is no doubt that the French agree. For example, if we are talking about reducing the number of deputies or about immigration quotas, voting means little if-then nothing is done to fulfil the will of the people. There are a number of questions that the French will answer in the affirmative, and according to the results of the vote, Macron will receive, I would say, Soviet results. But the main demand of the French concerning the improvement of the living standards of a part of the population will not be satisfied".
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"The government at any cost seeks to keep control of the debate with the people. In initiated consultations with the population, 500,000 proposals have already been received from citizens. It is clear that in this situation the most important role is played not by those who offer something but by the people who then select these proposals".
As noted by our colleagues from Le Journal du Dimanche, "the president will be able to add or change questions for the referendum until the very last moment".
Jean Messiha on the "cynicism" of Emmanuel Macron in solving European problems:
"Guided by lowly political considerations, trying to disrupt the elections to the European Parliament, being almost certain that he will lose them, […] he is ready to throw away the baby with the bathwater and sacrifice common European interests in order to save his government and to remain in power".
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"In my opinion, Macron is now worried not about the elections to the European Parliament, he wants to save his majority, to maintain his position", Thierry Mariani noted. "To derail the elections, for the first time belittling their importance, would be a mistake. Or it is just that Macron does not want the French to freely express their opinion on an important issue concerning the future of Europe".
According to Jean Messiha, this is only a "matter of time":
"Emmanuel Macron's page has turned. Separatism, political voluntarism manifest themselves in all countries as in the game of dominoes, and only France, personified by Emmanuel Macron, has not yet been affected by these trends. Emmanuel Macron is doing everything to consolidate his power in spite of history and geopolitics", he said in an interview with Sputnik.
Views and opinions, expressed in the article are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik