A French sermon

In this crucial moment of his presidency Emmanuel Macron appeared in front of a primary school classroom to explain to the French in an interview with TF1 that reforms are made in the interest of all, and that all need to contribute to help France to transform. He addressed the grievances of pensioners and rural areas, the two constituencies where he polls the lowest, and reassured that he is not a president of the rich but the president of all. To pensioners, many of whom have to pay more taxes to fund a drop in business charges, he was saying thank you for helping France get back on track. To motorists who are outraged about the government's plans of reducing the speed limit from 90 to 80km/h on countryside, roads Macron made the concession to scrap the measure if it does not work.

Not giving in one inch on the reforms he put himself on the front line, also not mentioning the government once. He reassured viewers that the SNCF will remain a company with 100% public capital, and that the state will take over the SNCF debt of €50bn in part, progressively. He played down the students' occupation of university campuses against the education reforms, as mobilising only a few organised by professionals of disorder.

The interview was long and extensive. It provoked mockery and criticism of substance and form, on the right as on the left. The leader of the Republicans in the senate, Bruno Retailleau, complained:

"The President of the Republic came to tell the French that he was right about everything, that he knew everything and that the worried French did not understand anything. And that will not change his plans. In the classroom setting, he took his audience for children."

Many twitterers also mocked the classroom setting, one of them saying only Macron can talk about bombing Syria in a classroom. A second TV interview will follow at prime time on Sunday, when he will be grilled by presenters from the left and the right.