(Bloomberg) — Emmanuel Macron’s diminished authority in France’s power-sharing government appears to be taking a toll.
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Macron’s tirade against his cabinet ministers, journalists and political commentators, accusing them of “a lack of professionalism” for leaking remarks he made about Israel, cast the French president in an uncharacteristic light this week.
“I was astonished to read so many comments, comments on comments, reactions, including from political leaders, foreign or French, on remarks that I made, without people trying to find out what exactly I had said,” a visibly angry Macron told reporters after a European Union summit.
The outburst on Thursday night reveals Macron’s deep frustrations on the domestic stage, including the suggestion that he can’t trust his own ministers. The president lost his parliamentary majority in an election he called this summer after far-right leader Marine Le Pen thrashed Macron’s centrists in voting for the European Parliament.
“I speak often enough about the situation in the Middle East that I do not need a ventriloquist,” Macron said Thursday. While he didn’t deny making the comments about Israel, he said they were misrepresented.
The controversy started after reports that Macron told a cabinet meeting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shouldn’t forget that Israel was created by a United Nations decision.
The comment cited by French media infuriated Netanyahu and drew fire from a Jewish community group and some politicians.
Senate President Gerard Larcher, a conservative, said he was “astounded” by the comments and Macron’s “ignorance” of history. A lawmaker in Macron’s party whose constituents include French citizens in Israel suggested Macron was questioning the country’s existence.
Israel declared its independence in 1948 following a partition plan approved by the UN six months earlier, which outlined a division of Palestine between Jews and Arabs.
Macron forcefully reiterated his support for Israel on Thursday, while saying France has a right and responsibility to not always agree with Netanyahu. He criticized countries that call for a cease-fire in Gaza but continue providing weapons to Israel.
He also threatened to stop holding press conferences if he’s quoted against his will, saying that reporters should only cite his public remarks.
Macron’s decision to call an early election led to two months of wrangling with the French left over naming a prime minister, ending with the appointment of conservative Michel Barnier.
Barnier, a seasoned politician who was the European Union’s Brexit negotiator, has made it clear he wants to carve out his own ground.
On Thursday, he traveled to Brussels as Macron — it’s rare for the French heads of state and government to be abroad at the same time — to attend a meeting of the EU’s conservative party group. It was a signal that European policy is a domain shared between the president and the premier.
The election result has forced Macron to stand back on domestic issues after setting up a power-sharing arrangement with more conservative forces including Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, the government’s most hard-line member. Two cabinet members have threatened to resign over budget demands.
France’s 2025 budget may be the next flashpoint since opposition parties could topple Barnier’s government if they join forces in a confidence vote — giving Le Pen’s National Rally power to bring down the administration.
The National Rally’s fiscal wish list includes taxing superdividends and share buybacks, ramping up pressure on Barnier. National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy said Wednesday that his party it would abstain from a confidence motion as long as the government does more to cut debt and increase what he called “fiscal justice.”
–With assistance from Galit Altstein.
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