Dissolution, successive governments, European Union, … what to remember from Emmanuel Macron's wishes for 2025

Emmanuel Macron sent his wishes to the French. MAXPPP – Bruno Levesque

In what was a short speech compared to previous years, Emmanuel Macron sent his wishes to the French for the new year, closing the page on 2024.

Emmanuel Macron made clear on Tuesday, during his wishes for 2025, his mea culpa on the dissolution of the National Assembly, which has sown “divisions”and “instability”, before calling for “collective recovery” in the face of the serious political crisis it has caused.

Deprived of a large part of his influence since his camp lost the early legislative elections in the summer, the head of state also announced, in the traditional New Year's Eve address, that he would ask the French during the year that is beginning to “decide” certain “determining subjects” to prepare for the future.

A way of giving a glimpse of referendums, often mentioned but never organized since his arrival at the Elysée in 2017, or new citizens' conventions after those on the end of life or ecology.

Recorded in the winter garden of the presidential palace, these eighth wishes from Emmanuel Macron are also the shortest, at eleven minutes. And for good reason: the president no longer has the means to decide everything as he used to do, and is falling back on his role as “guarantor”, according to his entourage.

He focused at length, at the beginning of his speech, on the successes of 2024. With an innovation in the form: a two-minute video showing the Olympic Games or the reopening of Notre-Dame.

“Together, this year we have proven that impossible is not French”, he declared. “Let us keep the best of what we have been”, “united, determined, in solidarity”.

Mea culpa on the dissolution

But Emmanuel Macron did not avoid the most serious political crisis of the Fifth Republic, with a clearer mea culpa than the one outlined at the beginning of December.

“I must recognize this evening that the dissolution has for the moment brought more divisions to the Assembly than solutions for the French people”, he affirmed. “Lucidity and humility require us to recognize that at this time, this decision has produced more instability than serenity. And I take full responsibility for that.”

Although fractured, the current Assembly represents according to him “the country in its diversity and therefore also in its divisions”, and is “fully legitimate”.

“It is not enough to recognize one's responsibility, one must draw all the political conclusions: leave”,responded immediately by the coordinator of La France insoumise Manuel Bompard, while the leader of the LFI deputies Mathilde Panot mocked this “arrogant and authoritarian president” whom she wants to “succeed in getting rid of”.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Despite everything, the president calls on the political forces to make 2025 the year “of collective recovery” in order to allow “stability” and “good compromises”. “Because we cannot afford to wait. The year 2025 must be a year action”, urges the head of state to the newly formed government of his ally François Bayrou, the fourth Prime Minister of the year, to whom he also addresses his “wishes”.

Even if he can no longer give the “the” of public policies, Emmanuel Macron shows that he does not intend to let the government tarnish its record.

He thus promised to “ensure” that France “continues to be attractive”, “works and innovates more”, continues to create jobs and “ensures its growth by maintaining its finances”. And this, while the country begins 2025 without a voted budget despite alarming deficits.

While international and European affairs remain the prerogatives of the president, Emmanuel Macron also urged Europeans to “put an end to naivety” in matters of trade or agriculture.

A “European awakening”

“Say no to the laws of trade dictated by others and that we are the only ones to still respect. Say no to everything that makes us depend on others without compensation and without preparing our future”, he pleaded. “Conversely, we need a European awakening, a scientific, intellectual, technological, industrial awakening, an agricultural, energy and ecological awakening”, he added.

With these wishes, Emmanuel Macron hopes to position himself in a superior position, and to distance himself from the little music of some of his opponents who consider his resignation inevitable before the end of his term in 2027.

The president of the National Rally deputies, Marine Le Pen, had said in mid-December that she was preparing for an early presidential election. In her own wishes, she stated on Tuesday that 2025 would be “a decisive year”, hoping for a “happy ending” to the governmental instability, which would come through a “democratic decision”.

For his part, the new Prime Minister wished, at the end of a visit to Mayotte devastated by cyclone Chido, a year of “reconciliation”, “action” and “stability” in the face of “fractures” recent.

A challenge: lacking a majority in the Assembly, his team relies on the same fragile alliance between Macronie and the Republicans party that had supported the previous right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who was ultimately censored three months after his appointment. The Bayrou government therefore faces the same risk of being overthrown by left-wing and far-right MPs.