Announcements for schools, birth rates, taxes and the defense of his ministers… Emmanuel Macron spoke of reforms and measures to come during his press conference on January 16.
“Making France stronger and fairer” is Emmanuel Macron’s objective for the coming years, particularly the three that separate him from the end of his five-year term. His ambition displayed, the President of the Republic specified certain measures to achieve this during the press conference organized at the Elysée on Tuesday January 16. If the Head of State made several announcements and presented reform projects in a speech lasting around twenty minutes, he mainly answered questions from journalists for more than two hours by covering around ten subjects. The reshuffle and its controversies, the “civic rearmament” measures, but also the birth rate and taxes… We return to the main declarations of Emmanuel Macron.
An announcement battery for the school
After having announced that he wanted to “rebuild civic education courses”, in particular by doubling the number of hours, or even wanted to make theater courses compulsory in middle and high school and strengthen art history courses, the President of the Republic announced that in the event of success of the uniform experiment, which should begin during the year in 100 voluntary establishments, he promised its generalization in all French public schools from the start of the school year 2026. Emmanuel Macron also spoke of his desire to move “towards the generalization of universal national service in second grade”.
The Head of State also wanted graduation ceremonies to be established in middle and high schools after the patent and baccalaureate exams. But he said little about the working conditions of teachers, declaring that he still wanted teachers to be “better trained and better paid”.
“Birth leave” to promote “demographic rearmament”
Concerning the family, Emmanuel Macron regretted the decline in the birth rate in France with the number of births at the lowest since the Second World War. Referring to “demographic rearmament” and a plan against infertility, he announced his plan to transform parental leave into a six-month long “birth leave” for both parents, which is also better paid.
Ten police operations per week against drug traffickers
“Order” is one of the priorities addressed by the Head of State, more particularly its respect. To move in this direction, he promised to accelerate the pace of police operations, in particular “clearance operations” against drug trafficking with at least “ten operations of this type carried out every week”.
On health: fight against medical deserts and deductibles on medicines
Emmanuel Macron said he was thinking about “more radical solutions” to fight against medical deserts and considering “regularizing a number of foreign doctors, who sometimes hold the medical system at arm’s length”. He also wanted to “simplify the rules” to allow “simpler coordination” between community medicine and hospitals.
In terms of access to care and medication, the Head of State said he was in favor of doubling medical deductibles, from 50 cents to one euro per box of medication. He believes that this is a “good measure” to make policyholders responsible.
A reduction in taxes and a reform to “earn a better living”
Emmanuel Macron promised a reduction in taxes of 2 billion euros for the middle classes in 2025. Addressing these same classes, the head of state considered it necessary “that there be ardent work to go further , to give more dynamism to careers, (…) so that the salary dynamic matches the efforts”. He added that he wanted to “put an end to unnecessary standards”, “reduce deadlines and facilitate hiring”.
A “just” ecological transition
On the subject of the ecological transition, Emmanuel Macron promised an “ecology of justice and sovereignty” for which farmers will be helped and the French supported both in transport, with the 100-euro electric car initiative, and for the renovation of housing. even simpler way to renovate housing.
Indulgence for Oudéa-Castera and no agreement with Rachida Dati
By speaking less than a week after the reshuffle, Emmanuel Macron could not escape questions on the two highlights of the new government, starting with the controversy surrounding Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera after her comments on the public school to justify the education of his children in the private sector. The President of the Republic said he had “indulgence” for his minister who made an “awkward comment” and “was right to apologize”. There is therefore no question of separating from the minister for “individual choices”. “The controversies of the moment must not make us leave the axis that is ours: the success of our children and a strong school, this is one of the foundations of the Republic,” concluded Emmanuel Macron.
Another subject of the reshuffle: the appointment of Rachida Dati to Culture while the mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris was attached to LR until she entered government and does not hide her desire to run for mayor of Paris in 2026. In response to those who assure that an agreement has been made between the head of state and the minister with a view to the next municipal elections, Emmanuel Macron declared not to have spoken about Paris with his minister, who was chosen for her “energy” and his “freedom.
Tribute to Hamas victims in February
Emmanuel Macron confirmed the holding of a ceremony to pay tribute to the French victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel and more broadly of the war between Hamas and the Jewish state. “On February 7, at the monument for the victims of terrorism” on the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris, “I will pay tribute to these victims alongside their loved ones, their families and all those who want to join us there.” The Head of State recalled that 41 French people died in these attacks and that three hostages are still being held.