This Thursday September 8th the French president inaugurated his new national council designed to debate potential reforms for his second term of office. However, the launch of the Conseil National de la Refondation, as it is called, has simply highlighted the difficulties and challenges facing Emmanuel Macron's presidency following his re-election in April: its scope is vague, the opposition has refused to take part and even his own political camp has found it hard to muster much enthusiasm for the initiative. Analysis by Ilyes Ramdani.
On the other end of the line an official at the Élysée interrupts us. “The CNR? Ah, sorry, no, I don't know anything about it. I think you'll get any news before me.” A few days earlier a government minister had asked, with a straight face: “But have you understood what it's about?” Nonetheless, today, on Thursday September 8th, three months after announcing it in an interview with the regional press, Emmanuel Macron launched his Conseil National de la Refondation (CNR) or national council for reform at Marcoussis in the southern suburbs of Paris.
