When the video was posted - by a Russian protest artist whose girlfriend had lured Griveaux into sending the video - few in the party rallied round him. The Moscow Times’ team of journalists has been first with the big stories on the coronavirus crisis in Russia since day one. Marine Le Pen ‘poised to crush French President in 2022 election' EMMANUEL MACRON will need an economic miracle to keep France out of … Benjamin Griveaux's campaign was already floundering, a month out from the first round of the election, and his naiveté in falling for a simple sting meant Macron had to choose: back a loyal and trusted ally, or sack him. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. He continued: "Given a national culture of sometimes violent protest, which has dogged Macron’s efforts to reform labour law, pensions and carbon taxation, his reshuffled government under new Prime Minister Jean Castex faces a winter of discontent as layoffs pile up, companies go to the wall and a coronavirus generation of school and college-leavers struggles to find work. France's president-elect Emmanuel Macron has promised to "fight the divisions that undermine France," after defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. It could end up as a handy guide: 'How to lose an election'.". Macron has consistently rewarded the early backers of his 2017 bid for the presidency, party insiders say. "The European Commission is forecasting a 10.6 percent slump in French output this year, only slightly less steep than in Italy and Spain. LaRem's campaign crumbled with the sting on Griveaux, but the seeds of defeat had been sown months earlier, with Griveaux's selection. The French president would be Tikhanovskaya's highest-profile meeting since the election and the protests which she has helped inspire. In July 2019, a LaRem committee picked him over Cedric Villani, an eccentric maths genius known for his spider brooches and silk cravats. Macron had hoped that local elections would provide the grassroots base that his young centrist party, LaRem, lacks ahead of his 2022 re-election bid. And Paris's City Hall, long in the grip of the left, seemed there for the taking. Meanwhile, far-right leader Marine Le Pen is waiting in the wings, ready to exploit a "wave of public anger over unemployment and living standards should Macron stumble". "Polls show many voters blame him for an initial lack of masks, respirators and protective clothing, and believe his administration lied to the public about shortages. This admitted that EU institutions are dysfunctional and that the eurozone is working against French economic interests. In his piece for Politico, Mr Taylor also noted that crisis spending is set to raise France’s public debt — already at 100 percent of GDP before the pandemic — to more than 120 percent. Please consider making a donation to The Moscow Times to help us continue covering this historic time in the world’s largest country. Villani had entered politics, and parliament, in 2017 with LaRem but, after being rejected as its mayoral candidate, decided to run as an independent, and ate into Griveaux's support. But Macron's confidant compared the loyalty to Griveaux to an alliance forged in war. We wouldn’t be able to produce this crucial journalism without the support of our loyal readers. One in three Parisian voters backed LaRem in last year's European elections. "And if he decides to press on, circle the wagons.". Two sources close to Macron said he had believed Villani's bid would naturally fade. "Macron will need an economic miracle, and a lot of luck with the pandemic, to keep his crown, and keep France, out of Le Pen’s hands.". And a year ago, before Griveaux's nomination, incumbent Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo was deeply unpopular for her efforts to reduce traffic in the capital, and surveys showed a Macron candidate beating her. DON'T MISS:Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool ‘sets blueprint for UK’s role outside EU’ [INSIGHT]EU to 'copy Roman Empire with great expansion' [ANALYSIS]UK closer to FTA as Barnier ‘drops TWO major objections’ [REVEALED], "Despite his efforts to project a more compassionate, listening image, he is still widely seen as a technocratic 'president of the rich'.". Mr Taylor, who is also a senior fellow at the think-tank Friends of Europe, argued that while the young, centrist leader may have triumphed on the European stage by convincing Germany to embrace joint borrowing to power a giant EU recovery fund, at home, he now faces a tough crowd. To be sure, Macron's own popularity had slumped during months of anti-government 'yellow vest' protests in early 2019, which were driven by public anger at a leader seen as aloof. In a position that has sometimes put him at odds with EU allies, Macron has pursued a policy of dialogue with Russia, even on issues where the two sides disagree. Au Revoir, Macron! This service is not intended for persons residing in the EU. It looks like the email address you entered is not valid.