France- losing its credibility under Macron

Getting slapped is the ultimate embarrassment that can be caused to a person in today’s civilized world. It is a gesture of anger, hate or disgust that indicates a high degree of frustration. When President Emanuel Macron was slapped during his tour to the southeastern town of France, the onlookers standing behind iron barriers shouted slogans.

When the President descended out of his vehicle and decided to meet the crowd, he rushed towards the crowd in such a quick move that the security staff accompanying him fell behind him by a few feet. It is unclear why the President, despite wearing a face mask and knowing that the Covid-19 pandemic precautions don’t allow a handshake or close contact, decided to offer his hand to one of the onlookers later identified as Damien Tarel. He slapped the President on the face and shouted ‘down with Macron’. The security staff hurriedly pulled the President to save him from further assault and apprehended the attacker.

Later the court announced four months imprisonment for him (and 14 months more suspended). While informing the cause of the attack, Tarel told the court that he felt that the President was lying to him and wanted him to vote for him in the next elections, thereby triggering his rage.

President Emanuel Macron was facing a lot of criticism after he ordered the display of blasphemous cartoons on the Champs Elysée as a gesture of right of expression. The question is, Damien also had the freedom of expression, which the court had not accepted. An exciting aspect of the proceedings is that Macron did not file a formal complaint to the court. However, while discussing the matter in the French parliament, the slap was pronounced as an attack on democracy.

It is also worth noting that no one condemned the attack in the international forum. This is because the President has become an unlikeable person due to his outrageous outburst that usually heads of states do not exhibit. Similarly, the local Muslim population has also no soft corner left for him due to his high-handed approach against Islam and the Muslim community.

The French masses are in a state of disenchantment with the existing system, causing a lack of motivation and resultantly such huge losses. The mental state of Damien Tarel and Arthur are also reflective of their search for alternatives to the existing system of democracy. It is, therefore, necessary for the French leadership to focus on the wellbeing of their discontented masses instead of involving in issues such as blasphemy which is likely further to alienate Muslims of France and the Muslim Ummah.

Many military officers in France have written an open letter to the President of France to warn him against an impending civil war. Though the chief of army staff of the French army has denounced the letter and vowed to take disciplinary action against those who have signed it, the question remains bout what has caused so much polarization in France. What factors leave the French President in isolation and growing unpopularity despite his efforts to overcome post-covid-19 hardships?

One of the factors is the growing awareness among the masses through social media, the internet and the fast pace of communication at all the tiers of society. As soon as the President visited a school after getting slapped, a small girl asked him how he felt after getting slapped. He avoided further embarrassment by saying that he was fine. He further added that it was not a good action and it was not good to slap anyone like that. What are the issues that reflect France as a failing nation and why are the armed forces of France writing open letters to the government? This can be explored from the basic investigations undertaken by the French police about the background and activities of Damien Tarel and his accomplice Arthur.

As per the initial investigations, the French authorities raided the residence of Tarel, who lives with his mother. He managed a local martial arts club, read comic books, played video games, and was inclined towards the slogans of the French army during the monarchy. Ostensibly he is neither satisfied with himself nor with the current system of government.

His friend Arthur is also found to possess Hitler’s Mein Kampf, and a licensed rifle at home. The frustration among these young French people is indicative of issues in the French government system and at the national level. A few months back, the Perle, an Rubis-class French nuclear submarine, caught fire in the dock at Toulon and was rendered lost or damaged beyond economical repairs. The investigation revealed that the yard workers did not take necessary precautions during the welding process, leaving burning material inside the forward compartment unattended and leaving the premises. This indicates an unmotivated workforce or an unsafe approach, which is an outcome of unsatisfied workers. A national loss worth billions of dollars and the loss of a valuable asset for national defence is a hefty price that the French people will have to pay. Defence minister Florance Parly visited Perle the submarine. The most startling revelation from the minister was the analogy that she drew about the on-board fire submarine with the Notre Dame. The fire at Notre Dame, that destroyed the entire edifice of the historic cathedral in Paris, occurred last year. The cathedral earned fame due to the novel of Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Even though the cathedral had 160 fire detection devices installed after six years of designing the fire detection system, the fire caused severe damage to the building and tower. When the fire broke out, the alarm system alerted the security staff, but they wasted 30 precious minutes to locate the fire. It pointed out the possibilities of cigarette butts or electric short-circuit that caused the fire. This was further aggravated due to the delay in locating the start point or location of the fire soon after the alarm had sounded. The renovation cost is estimated at $600 million, which are being collected through donations from American residents presumably of French origin. The comments from the French Defence Minister indicate tht a lack of interest or careless attitude caused these significant losses.

The French masses are in a state of disenchantment with the existing system, causing a lack of motivation and resultantly such huge losses. The mental state of Damien Tarel and Arthur are also reflective of their search for alternatives to the existing system of democracy. It is, therefore, necessary for the French leadership to focus on the wellbeing of their discontented masses instead of involving in issues such as blasphemy which is likely further to alienate Muslims of France and the Muslim Ummah.