That’s the problem, isn’t it ?
I actually like Macron though he wasn’t my choice in the first vote but I had to vote for him to keep Marine out.
Maybe the fairest way is to have like in the UK ie. a first past the post system ?
But playing Devil’s Advocate now, what would it actually be like if Marine did become President ?
Have we ever got th[quote=“Peter_Bird, post:1, topic:34012, full:true”]
Prompted by John Scully (age 67 plus) on another topic it seems a good idea to give Mr Macron his own topic.
My take on Macron is that he’s done ok ish but was , like every other world leader thrown into a crisis not of his own making.
He came to power thanks to a welsh lady who put the kybosh on the Republican Party which probably would have taken over the reins at the Élysée Palace from Mr Hollande. Also the annihilation of the Parti Socialiste and the Hobson’s Choice of him or Mme le Pen in the run- off sealed his victory.
He tried very quickly to implement his manifesto promises but his over zealous approach stirred up the hornets nest which is thé gilet jaunes. He eventually realized he was pushing through some policies too quickly and eased off with some U turning. He then wound up the unions with more gung-ho decisions and was ironically, saved by Covid.
He dithered like Boris & co, though not as pitifully with the delayed implementation of lockdown and even managed to send tonnes of PPE stuff to China when it became in very short supply when Covid became more of an urgent dilemma .
He then handled the pandemic competently imo up to the time when vaccines were being developed but declined , in true French style to make a decision on ordering vaccines at a time when Boris saw the potential. France and the EU dallied and now find ourselves in the embarassing situation of Brexit sticking two fingers up to the rest of Europe.
Macron and the EU of which France is one of the major players has ultimately let us down.
I like Macron and most of his ideas but he has lost my vote.
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e full and true story of the Locaby and Marhgaret Thatcher.
I knew someone who died in that dissaster and we are al still grieving
He is an astonishingly successful person who has done nothing but move upwards during his life and, like many such people, he’s much too fond of his own opinion and has trouble believing that people who disagree with him deserve respect. That’s led him to say things that have angered a lot of people, the Astra Zeneca comments being the worst as we can assume people have died as a result. Those comments felt a bit like listening to the local pub bore sounding off a bit. The success of his presidency depended on his reforms working, the effects of which now can’t be clear as a result of the pandemic, and the real threat now is, assuming things go as most people think, that the left have had enough of voting for the centre right in the second round, and will simply abstain, quite possibly letting Le Pen in.
Well, saying it was “quasi ineffective for those over 65” was going much further than saying that the initial trials did not include enough over 65s to be confident
Peter I agree!
I find it inconceivable that despite the WHO approval for the Astra Zenica vaccine for all age groups he has denied its use to the most vulnerable age group - which includes his wife!
I am finding the approach to the pandemic a bit strange in France. There have been about an average of 20,000 cases per day over the last week, and it seems to me a bit like collateral damage viz carry on as before but there will be some casualties.
Why should that concern you? IIRC you live in the UK.
I live in France and am not in slightest way concerned about the way the French Government are conducting themselves on this.
I thought this was a site for debate. I looked for the word “concerned” in my post but can’t find it. Perhaps it has been edited out.
You raised the same point in the ‘How good a job has Johnson done’ thread Ronald - the answers are still more or less the same.
The thing is, there are broadly two sides to this debate, and to be blunt we can see on the whole who falls into what side by who ‘likes’ each other’s comments 
At this point there seems little to be gained other than to create more comments to this thread as no one seems to be changing sides, or even understanding the other side at all.
There are some here who seem sure that the french approach is a disaster and won’t stop saying so until everyone agrees, there are some who are just getting on with life with precautions, and are not worried at all which may be too cavalier, but people have to live their life how they must or see best. Then the rest fall somewhere in between on one side or the other. (I say ‘sides’ because it really is starting to feel that childish, like picking sides in school)
But I’m not sure unless anything major happens like a new lockdown, opening everything up, the government stopping the vaccination programme and dumping it all in the Seine, or everyone receiving an appointment to get their first vaccine tomorrow morning, there is much to add. Vaccination is plodding along, and hopefully picking up, life is becoming more like normal for most, and hopefully the sun is starting to show itself from its winter hibernation.
made me smile… well done!
International Women’s Day. Macron makes a statement acknowledging where we are and how much to be done etc etc. A bit blah, blah but at least sensible
Johnson sends a tweet praising women who worked on Covid vaccine (sub-text: remember world beating vaccine thanks to one Mr Johnson)
Which do you prefer?
One would have hoped that there would have been a sense of urgency about the whole thing.
When you get Jean Castex asking for vaccine centres to open at the weekend, it doesn’t give the impression that Covid is been taken seriously.
how so?
Because if the thing was being taken seriously the vaccination centres would already have been open at the weekend!
You say that but I just don’t see it personally. I see no need for this massive rush. Which was my whole point, you feel one thing, I feel another, us repeating our points over and over again is achieving nothing. It’s neither moving in the discussion on or evolving anyone’s opinions. Nothing’s actually coming from it. 
(None of which was said to you personally @Jane_Williamson, I and you was speaking in general terms, but it highlighted my point that as I said originally, people have different ideas, and yet the debate continues.)
which is why I shall now mute this thread
I can’t understand why people say they don’t see a need for a rush when people are dying
Isn’t it in the interests of everyone to get the economy rolling ASAP ?
