Macron's EU 'renaissance' seeks to halt populist wave

Macron's EU 'renaissance' seeks to halt populist wave
By Euronews

"No, Mr. Macron, I'm not scared of you," said one MEP with the populist Swedish Democrats party during Raw Politics.

French President Emmanuel Macron is hoping to take on the surge in populist politics as part of his newly unveiled European "renaissance". 

But some MEPs aren't convinced. 

"Macron is the danger for Europe," said MEP Peter Lundgren with the European Conservatives and Reformists on Tuesday's episode of Raw Politics.

"He started out in the French election by saying, 'Yes vote for me I will give everyone everything, not a problem.' Well look at France now," said Lundgren, who's a member of the populist political party Sweden Democrats.

When asked by host Tesa Arcilla if populists should be worried, Lundgren shrugged off the notion with a smile, saying: "No, Mr Macron, I'm not scared of you."

French MEP Christine Revault D'Allonnes Bonnefoy, with the Socialists and Democrats group, welcomed Macron's intentions — but likely won't hold out on seeing his vision come to fruition. 

"As usual, when Emmanuel Macron speaks about Europe or rights about Europe, it's good. But the acts are so different. We have Doctor Emmanuel and Mr Macron, and the problem is there. There's a gap between what he says and what he does," she said, alluding to the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

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