French President Emmanuel Macron faces tough days ahead as he attempts to quell the protests that were triggered by the police killing of Nahel M, an Algerian-descent teenager
The question now for Macron is whether he can marshal enough endurance to face the political situation at home. / Photo: AFPTo get some things done he worked with the traditional right. The center-left helped the French president accomplish others. The challenge was bigger than any a French leader had faced in more than two decades: He had to convince politicians across the country's national assembly to support even a minor domestic project.
Now, governing his already-polarised country has gotten close to impossible for Macron because a suburban police officer stopped a yellow Class A Mercedes and fired one fatal shot into the 17-year-old Algerian descent driver's chest, setting off six days of tumult across the country. Macron's centrist Renaissance Party and its close allies had merely 251 seats out of 577 after Macron won his second five-year term last year with 58 percent of the votes in a runoff with far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
Macron dreamed big despite the close victory. His first big goal was raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, which he had to force through parliament. He then hoped to re-industrialise France, improve working conditions and finalise a new immigration bill. Abroad, Macron championed European sovereignty and independence in fields ranging from the economy and energy to defence.
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