Emmanuel Macron spoke from the Elysée this Sunday, December 31, for a 13-minute speech in which he promised to make 2024 a “year of determination.”
In his televised New Year’s Eve address, President Emmanuel Macron promised to make 2024 a “year of determination.” Addressing the French from the Élysée garden, in front of the flags of the Olympic nations, he emphasized the importance of “continuing to act” despite the challenges encountered, highlighting the highlights to come in 2024 as the Olympic Games and the reopening of Notre-Dame.
The head of state, however, did not specify the contours of the mysterious “meeting with the Nation” announced for January, nor did he mention a possible government reshuffle that many in his camp are expecting, or even hope for mid-January.
As for the “new course” mentioned before Christmas, it is in fact the same for almost seven years that he has been leading France, he said: to make it “stronger and fairer”, to “liberate, protect, unite”. This through “economic rearmament”, “rearmament of the State and our public services”, to which the president, who regularly protests against a process of “decivilization” at work according to him, now wants to add a “civic rearmament” around the school.
“I will have the opportunity in the coming weeks to tell you how our Nation will meet these challenges,” he added to maintain the suspense over this meeting which could in reality be a succession of “moments” in January, according to those around him.
Macron recognized the difficulties of his second term without an absolute majority in the National Assembly and took responsibility for the controversial choices made. He notably recalled the reforms undertaken, including those which have divided, such as the law on immigration and the pension reform, affirming his position oriented towards action rather than electoral calculations.
Several other reforms are expected in 2024, notably on the end of life and the inclusion of voluntary termination of pregnancy in the Constitution. 2024 also promises to be a rich year for France, with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the reopening of Notre-Dame, the 80th anniversary of the Allied Landings, and the European elections.
The head of state also spoke of international tensions, notably the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas, promising to continue to support kyiv and not to forget the hostages in Gaza.
The June 2024 European elections have been identified as a watershed moment. Macron stressed the importance of making choices: “continue Europe or block it”, “continue the ecological and productive transition or go back”, “affirm the strength of our liberal democracies or give in to the lies that sow chaos “. He also paid tribute to Jacques Delors, emphasizing the importance of his legacy for the future of Europe.
“The year 2024 must above all be a year of determination. Act, act again, in the interest of the Nation,” he insisted. “For the school”, for “a stronger Republic”, to “achieve our ambition of full employment”, he listed, even if he said he understood “the impatience”, and “shared” it.
