MACRON DEFENDS HIS RECORD; FRANCE HONORS WORKERS ON BASTILLE DAY

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday defended his record during his first three years in office, as Bastille Day celebrations, slimmed down due to health precautions, paid tribute to health workers who fought the coronavirus epidemic, Pol O’Gradaigh and Christian Boehmer wrote for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) on July 14, 2020.

In a rare television interview, the centrist president said he was determined to carry on his reform programme, claiming victories such as a lowered unemployment rate before the pandemic hit and the halving of class sizes in the poorest areas.

But Macron, who has suffered from low public approval figures since the early stages of his presidency, admitted that he had "not succeeded" in persuading the public about his reforms, several of which have led to mass protests.

Reforms to the labor market, state railways, the pension system and schools were intended to make France stronger and ensure equal opportunities for all, he insisted. "This president who wanted to reform everything so that only the best could succeed, so that France could adapt to globalization - that is not my project," he insisted. Macron also sought to explain why he had replaced Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, a center-right provincial mayor who had gained popularity for his steady handling of the epidemic, with another center-right former provincial mayor, Jean Castex.