On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed regret for not doing more to convince the nation to support his controversial pension reform and issued a warning about the rise of the far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
The 45-year-old warned that the anti-immigration Le Pen could win the next presidential elections in 2027, joining other French political figures in making the same statement to Le Parisien.
She is regarded as having gained the most political clout from the unrest in France that has been brought on by Macron’s decision to raise the retirement age. This decision has resulted in three months of strikes and protests, as well as concerns for the stability of French democracy.
“Marine Le Pen will arrive (in power) if we are unable to respond to the challenges of the country and if we introduce a habit of lying or denying reality,” Macron told the newspaper.
After invoking a contentious constitutional provision to get the pensions reform through the lower house of parliament without a vote, he has come under fire from all sides.
According to polls, two-thirds of French oppose raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, and it did not appear to have a majority in parliament before Macron’s government invoked article 49.3 of the constitution to force it through.
Since the beginning of the year, Macron has maintained a low profile, leaving Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to serve as the reform’s public face.
