Macron under fire: TikTok controversy and economic decline mark dismal chapter Attempt to reconnect with France backfires

In a recent exposé, The Daily Telegraph has turned its spotlight on yet another misstep by French President Emmanuel Macron. Below, we share a glimpse of the article, offering Caliber.Az readers a taste of the latest chapter in Macron’s ongoing series of political blunders.

Emmanuel Macron’s approval ratings have plummeted to their lowest since he assumed the presidency in 2017, following a disastrous attempt to reconnect with ordinary citizens that ended in humiliation.

Macron’s latest misstep occurred when he engaged with a TikTok influencer who had complained about a motorway toll fine. What seemed like a simple public relations move backfired when it later emerged that the influencer, S4iintt, was an Islamic fundamentalist with controversial views. This influencer had previously mocked Macron, calling him a “dwarf married to his French teacher” and referring to the country as “the size of a potato crisp,” among other insults.

The PR blunder comes at a time when Macron’s political standing is in tatters. The 46-year-old president has been left feeling “sad” and isolated, with aides admitting that he’s struggling to navigate the political landscape after the disastrous decision to call snap elections in July 2024. This move resulted in Macron losing his parliamentary majority and much of his once-dominant executive power.

Internationally, Macron has seen some successes, such as overseeing last year’s Paris Olympics and the reopening of Notre-Dame in the presence of world leaders, including US President-elect Donald Trump. However, his popularity at home is in sharp decline. An Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche published last weekend revealed that just 21% of French voters approve of his presidency, the lowest approval rating since he first took office and the second-lowest in modern French history—only surpassed by François Hollande, his Socialist predecessor.

“Macron’s situation is dire. I just don’t see how he can bounce back, there’s no clear path,” said one former aide. While Hollande has made an unexpected comeback and is now one of France’s most popular political figures, even nursing comeback hopes, Macron’s decline is far steeper.

Macron’s approval ratings have now sunk lower than during the “yellow vest” protests of late 2018, when anger over his policies led to violent demonstrations, and protesters even attempted to storm the Élysée Palace. However, the current battle is not one of revolution, but of irrelevance. Power has shifted away from the presidency to the National Assembly, and the Élysée has become a "ghost ship" with advisors leaving in droves, insiders say. Even Alexis Kohler, his trusted right-hand man, is reportedly seeking a new job.

In France, the president has traditionally been the central authority, with the prime minister acting as an executor of his policies. However, in a period of “cohabitation” with the opposition, Macron has lost nearly all domestic power, aside from his influence in defence and foreign policy. “The ambience in the Élysée is morose,” said the former aide. “Macron’s dwindling domestic influence has damaged his ability to stand tall in Europe and on the international stage — just as Donald Trump’s return to power and the threat of a trade war require a robust response.”

In an attempt to regain some footing at home, the Élysée recently announced that Macron would shift his approach. “I’m no longer going to be the initiator of public policy, administering on a day-to-day basis. But I am going to be involved in people’s day-to-day lives, as an appeal body for the French people,” he confided. Yet this commitment to reconnect with citizens led to a highly controversial TikTok exchange with S4iintt. When the influencer posted a complaint about receiving a €90 fine for using his mobile phone at a toll booth, Macron responded personally, saying, “You’re right. I think in 2025, one should be able to pay a motorway toll with one’s mobile phone.” The president even promised to personally hand a dossier to the interior ministry, which later announced that using mobile phones at tolls would no longer be an offense.

While his response garnered millions of views, the backlash was swift and intense. The controversy escalated when it emerged that S4iintt was an Islamic fundamentalist who has previously advocated for Islamic veils for children as young as seven, opposed France’s ban on the abaya robe in schools, and criticized “wives who have boyfriends.” Macron’s response, intended to show empathy, ended up platforming an extremist figure, sparking outrage in France. “By offering a presidential platform to the first imbecile who comes along, we are undermining the credibility of France,” one commentator quipped.

This debacle follows other recent difficulties, including a debate over government cuts to sports funding. Guillaume Tabard, an editorial writer at Le Figaro, criticized Macron’s decision to criticize the cuts, saying, “It amounts to handing a blank cheque to all those who are going to complain about savings in a budget that is supposed to reduce public deficits.”

Macron is also facing mounting economic pressures, as unemployment has risen by 4% — the largest increase in a decade. The country’s debt continues to balloon, and the French economy is showing signs of strain. A source from a leading French employer remarked, “Macron has presided over mounting debt since 2017 and can no longer have a serious and credible conversation in Berlin, Brussels, or elsewhere.”

“He should care less about TikTok and more about his country’s economic decline,” they noted.

The source added: “Macron has presided over mounting debt since 2017 and as a result can no longer have a serious and credible conversation in Berlin, Brussels or elsewhere.

“There is a link with the political instability since he dissolved parliament because there has been a hiring freeze since last July due to the lack of visibility.”

“All the supply-side policies Macron succeeded in putting in place in his first term are unravelling. France was the most attractive for investment in Europe. Now it’s going the other way. It used to call the shots in Europe. Now it’s shooting itself in the foot.”

By Tamilla Hasanova