Emmanuel Macron came to power in 2017 as a politician of a new kind: a technocrat, unbound by traditional parties, a champion of modernization, progress, and European integration. He was positioned as an alternative to rising populist and radical political figures. Yet by the midpoint of his second presidential term, Macron’s political legacy has become associated not with reform, but with growing social polarization, erosion of legal protections, and worsening condition of vulnerable groups.
Widening economic inequality and rising vulnerability of the poorest
One of Macron’s first economic initiatives was cutting taxes for the wealthy, including the abolition of the wealth tax, alongside labor market liberalization that made dismissals easier. These measures were widely perceived as benefiting the corporate elite at the expense of workers and social protections.
In late 2018, France saw the eruption of one of its largest social movements in decades — the “Yellow Vests”. What began as a protest against fuel price hikes quickly transformed into a widespread uprising against economic inequality, declining purchasing power, and a sense that the government had lost touch with ordinary citizens. The state responded with mass arrests, heavy-handed policing, and accusations of extremism.
In 2023, pension reform triggered a new wave of demonstrations. The government pushed the controversial legislation through without a parliamentary vote, using Article 49.3 of the French Constitution. The reform raised the retirement age from 62 to 64 — a move that disproportionately affected low-income workers, who tend to begin working earlier and are less able to accumulate private savings.
According to the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the income gap between the top 10% and the bottom 10% of earners widened during both of Macron’s terms, despite temporary stimulus efforts during the pandemic. This indicates that the government’s structural reforms have primarily served the interests of economically privileged groups, exacerbating existing divides.
As a result, sociologists and economists note that social tensions in France today are higher than they were at the start of Macron’s presidency. The most vulnerable groups — the unemployed, migrants, and working-class youth — have become even more exposed to rising costs, declining social support, and a repressive state response to dissent.
Human rights abuses and criminalization of protest
Macron’s presidency has been marked by the gradual expansion of police and surveillance powers. The 2021 “Global Security” law sparked widespread condemnation across France and beyond. It criminalizes the dissemination of images of police officers with “intent to harm,” which human rights organizations argue threatens press freedom and civilian oversight.
The state’s use of force during protests has become a defining feature of Macronism. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly criticized excessive and disproportionate police violence, especially during pension reform protests. Rubber bullets, stun grenades, and mass arrests have become routine — even at peaceful demonstrations.
Environmental activists have also faced increasing criminalization, including those protesting dams, highways, and airport expansion. Several activists have been charged with forming “extremist groups” — a designation rights advocates see as an attempt to delegitimize legitimate civic resistance.
Hate crimes and decline of minority rights
Under Macron, France has experienced a sharp rise in hate crimes, particularly against Jews, Muslims, LGBTQ+ individuals, and migrants. The Ministry of the Interior confirmed that such incidents rose by over 40% between 2017 and 2023.
Government policies promoting a hardline assimilationist model have added to the problem. The introduction of restrictions on religious clothing in schools, aggressive campaigns against so-called “separatism,” and the closure of Muslim associations have all deepened the alienation of Muslim youth, fueled social exclusion, and inflamed tensions in urban peripheries.
Human rights groups argue that Macron has failed to recognize institutional discrimination and has not taken meaningful steps to combat racism within law enforcement, education, or the labor market.
Crackdown on freedom of press and journalists arrests
Despite public rhetoric about democratic values, press freedom has deteriorated under Macron’s leadership. In 2022, Reporters Without Borders warned of mounting pressure on journalists investigating police abuse and state misconduct. Some reporters were subjected to surveillance, interrogation, and detention.
A prominent example came during the protests in Sainte-Soline against the construction of a water reservoir. Journalists covering the events were detained alongside demonstrators, even when displaying valid credentials. Such actions not only undermine press freedom but erode democratic oversight over state power.
Macron aimed to be remembered as a reformer, a modernizer, a 21st-century European leader. But his political legacy is proving far more complicated. Behind the language of start-ups, digitization, and European renewal lies an expanding apparatus of repression, deepening inequality, and an increasingly authoritarian mode of governance.
On paper, France under Macron remains a competitive, innovation-driven economy. In reality, it is also a country where vulnerable populations are increasingly marginalized, where the police play an ever-greater role in regulating public life, and where criticism of government policy is often framed as a threat.
Macron’s true legacy is still taking shape — but one conclusion is already clear: reforms that lack a foundation of social justice and respect for human rights leave behind deep fractures in the democratic fabric of the Republic.
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