The Macron Régime : The Ideology of the New Right in France

The Macron régime has ushered in a new era of French politics, redefining key elements of the ideological justification behind the social contract. Macron’s philosophy has been characterized by the rise of the new right in the country, one that has fully embraced and completed the neoliberal project of the preceding decades. This vision proposes a fourth right for France, complementing the ultra, Orléanist and Bonapartist rights of the past with a neoliberal right that proposes a régime conceptualized as a diet for the country. Based around three key ideas – security, merit and hope – Macron has proposed a coherent vision for the future of France, where a slimmed-down social state makes room for a security régime, creates opportunities for the winners of globalization, and proposes a charitable alternative to the welfare state. By discussing the key philosophical traditions around those ideas, this book shows that readings of Foucault, Weber and Spinoza help us understand the ideology behind the régime. Often portrayed as pragmatic, centrist alternative to the left/right cleavage, Macron’s politics is shown to be a readjustment of the political right’s heritage. It sets a clear path for the left of the future: one that put together a coherent alternative to security state, one that steps away from technocratic politics and embraces democracy, one that defends solidarity over and above the political theology of hope. Front Cover The Macron Régime: The Ideology of the New Right in France Copyright information Table of contents List of abbreviations Acknowledgments Introduction Macron’s legacy Liberalism triumphant Ideology Structure 1 A New Régime The régime as diet The fourth right What is neoliberalism? After neoliberalism 2 Security Foucault’s technologies of security Neutralization Sûreté as safety and certainty Foreign policy and security Conclusion 3 Merit The liberal-libertarian compromise Brute luck and option luck The calling and grace Meritocracy Responsibility Conclusion 4 Hope Hope as affect Macron’s hope Why the French don’t have a word for entrepreneur Hope and community Changing laïcité Charity Conclusion Conclusion The 2022 elections The future of France The death of the PS and LR The far right The left References Index Back Cover When Emmanuel Macron was elected President of the French Republic, it ended the long-standing political alternation between the mainstream right- and left-wing parties. This book examines Macron’s political career from his rise as a public figure to his time as a president. The book explores Macron’s political ideology and examines the enactment of the key notions of security, merit and hope during his time in office. By offering a close study of his actions and ideological commitment, this book argues that, despite claims of being ideologically neutral, Macron actually represents a new form of right-wing politics in France. This book examines Emmanuel Macron’s political career from his rise as a public figure to his time as a president. By offering a close study of his actions and ideological commitment, this book argues that, despite claims of being ideologically neutral, Macron actually represents a new form of right-wing politics in France.