, Columnist
The Dark Side to Macron's Bright Idea in France
Term limits and other legislative reforms sounds great in theory. But only in theory.
Emmanuel Macron, a president who understandably wants to weaken the legislative branch.
Photographer: Christophe Morin/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Emmanuel Macron has completed a political revolution. The man swept out of nowhere, with no party behind him, and in a few short months, managed to secure the French presidency, then lead his new movement to a substantial legislative majority. Now he’s proposing to embark on another revolution by reshaping the legislature: to reduce the number of representatives, to limit lawmakers’ terms, and to provide “a dose” of proportional representation.
These are all proposals that get floated in the U.S. as well. And it’s easy to see why.