France’s World Cup victory couldn’t come at a better time for Emmanuel Macron as he confronts growing challenges on multiple fronts.
The 4-2 defeat of Croatia in Moscow on Sunday by the French team was celebrated by Macron in person, who jumped and pumped his fists with each goal.
The win will also be cheered in the presidential palace.
“This victory will improve France’s image for several years, and almost automatically that of its leader,” Pascal Boniface, director of the Institute for International and Strategic Relations, a French think-tank, said.
“It’s about soft power and the international prestige of France. Football is now global,” he added.
Macron’s diplomatic objectives since taking power in May last year have been showing France as a key player in an increasingly fractious world, a role which he and many observers felt had been lost during the previous presidency of Francois Hollande.
The young centrist leader has travelled widely to push his blueprint for overhauling the European Union and spearhead efforts to fight climate change.
He has also lead the charge against resurgent nationalism and isolationism, both on the continent and by its traditional ally the US under Donald Trump.
Yet on issues ranging from the fraying Iran nuclear deal to initiatives to end the conflicts in Syria and Libya, Macron has struggled to produce any tangible results and his EU reform drive is also floundering.
A survey published on July 5 found just 29 per cent of respondents thought Macron’s policies were “fair”. While 75 per cent declared him “dynamic”, only 45 per cent considered him “likeable”.
“This win is obviously going to have a magnifying effect on France,” said Paul Dietschy, a French historian specialising in football at the University of Franche-Comte.
Before attending Sunday’s final, Macron congratulated Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for organising a contest that went off without a hitch — after years of growing tensions between Moscow and the West.
“Sports are often just a pretext. Macron’s trips to Russia for the semi-finals and especially the final, with France victorious no less, may have created the opportunity for a different type of dialogue with Putin,” Dietschy said.
And the political dividends could keep coming with the country set to host the rugby World Cup in 2023 followed by the Olympics the following year.
The question is whether Macron can capitalise on his opportunity before his five-year term ends. — AFP
Valérie Leroux
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