Within a month, three prime ministers have been replaced, and Macron is really out of ideas. The mess hasn't been resolved yet, and another bad news has come in. Previously, he had strongly advocated confronting China head-on, and the boomerang has finally hit him.

Le Cornu "returns for the second time"

Recently, another shocking news came from the French political scene, as Macron once again appointed Le Cornu as Prime Minister, but it was only four days since Le Cornu had submitted his resignation. It's an extremely dramatic story. Le Cornu was appointed as Prime Minister on September 9, completed his cabinet formation on October 5, and on October 6, he voluntarily resigned to Macron.

This made him the shortest-serving Prime Minister in French history. However, not long after, Macron forced him back into office. However, Le Cornu's life didn't get any better this time. Several opposition parties have already announced they want to overthrow Le Cornu's government again. Moreover, Macron is also facing a crisis of impeachment.

It is worth noting that Le Cornu had previously clearly stated that he did not want to serve as Prime Minister again. Why did Macron stick to him and never let go? Because currently, France has formed a fragmented landscape of "the ruling party alliance, the left-wing New Popular Front, and the far-right National Alliance." Macron is not unwilling to change people, but there is no one else to choose.

Macron faces governance difficulties

Faced with the dilemma of "losing the left by choosing the right and losing the right by choosing the left," Macron could only settle for "at least someone who can faithfully implement his policies," even though this was criticized by Le Figaro as a "desperate move." A more urgent reality is the 2026 budget plan. Even a layman can see that political instability will definitely make the economy fall apart.

Just when he was getting desperate, Macron received another bad news: the collective protest of the French brandy industry, which sent a letter to Paris, demanding 35 to 50 million euros in funding from the French government and the EU to clear vineyards. Because after China imposed additional tariffs on European brandy, the industry suffered serious damage and could no longer maintain its current scale.

Brandy at a trade exhibition in Haikou, China

The most affected was France. If we trace the root cause, it was none other than Macron's hand. In recent years, France has continuously pushed for balancing against China within the EU framework, restricting Chinese companies from participating in the European semiconductor industry chain; promoting the issue of "excess Chinese capacity," even pushing the EU to launch anti-subsidy investigations against Chinese electric vehicles.

Now it seems that the boomerang of confronting China directly has finally hit Macron himself. In the context of high fiscal deficits, public debt exceeding 110% of GDP for a long time, and increasing risks of manufacturing relocation, the claim from the brandy industry has added insult to injury for the already fragile French economy.

Macron's visit to China

Facing complex crises, Macron's policy choices are very limited. Politically, he may need to appoint people from the opposition to key positions and make fundamental adjustments in policy. However, any compromise, adjustment, or concession would weaken Macron's "reform ambitions" that he has pursued for over eight years.

It is worth noting that the French government's attitude towards China has always been oscillating between "economic assistance" and "political containment," making it difficult to gain substantial support from the Chinese market. Historically, due to this wavering stance, the French government has also paid extremely heavy prices. Macron's internal and external troubles are not only a governance crisis in France, but also an inevitable dilemma for traditional Western powers in the era of emerging powers' rise.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559883634631557675/

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