With endless strikes and protests over the controversial retirement reform, and people hounding him while banging pots and pans and a favorability rating of 28%, it may be hard to believe this, yet…
…there are people who don’t just merely tolerate President Emmanuel Macron, but who absolutely love love love him to the depths of their souls.
Each year in June, I am reminded of this when I attend Viva Technology, one of Europe’s largest tech conferences. This Paris event draws about 150,000 visitors and is co-organized by advertising and marketing giant Publicis and Groupe Les Echos which owns the nation’s leading financial newspaper.
As you probably know, my day job has long been writing about tech and startups. So I have been to quite a few tech conferences in my day, kiddos. At Viva Tech, I moderated three different panels on the main stage and once again got to see my giant head on a giant screen:
For Macron, Viva Tech is the ultimate safe space. Since his days as Economy Minister, he has been a fervent supporter of French startups and entrepreneurs, both in words and deeds. As president, he has made it rain funding on this sector.
That love is very much reciprocated by the nation’s entrepreneurs and venture capital investors. Each year, Macron walks the exhibit hall to stop at various booths. I learned this year that this strolling around is officially called déambulation, and while I know what the word means now, in my head, it still seems like it should mean “one’s legs coming off.”
But, I digress.
During this traditional déambulation each year, we see Macron as a rock star, swarmed by fans who just want to touch the hem of his garb or get a selfie.
It’s a place where he can receive a fawning introduction on stage from Publicis Chairman Maurice Lévy, the man who conceived of the conference back in 2015. Lévy delivered the kind of Valentine that most of us can only dream about:
“Mr. President, we are very happy to welcome you chez vous, at Viva Tech, and we are particularly grateful for your visit….And I don’t forget that in large part we exist thanks to you and we owe it to you. I came to see you in the autumn of 2015, and not only did you encourage me, but you pushed me to do it…And you have never stopped since then, never missed coming to support the young entrepreneurs and the big entrepreneurs…You consider Viva Tech as your baby, and you never miss the chance to set new goals, always more ambitious…”
This went on for a few minutes, with Lévy basically giving Macron credit for creating the whole French tech ecosystem and much of the known universe. He even praised Macron for his various work reforms and even (gasp!) the retirement reform. Trust me when I say there are not a lot of places in France where Macron is going to get a public high-five over the retirement reform. Viva Tech is such a place.
Macron sat on stage looking about as awkward as one would if someone was reading a love letter to them aloud in front of a live audience of thousands and a few hundred thousand more watching on a live stream.
Eventually, the lovefest wound down, and Macron was joined on stage by several entrepreneurs who each had the chance to ask him a question. As an American who is accustomed to seeing politicians who seem to have only a passing familiarity with my mother tongue, it is quite remarkable to see a politician who can speak extemporaneously and coherently on any topic for an extended period of time.
Macron is such a politician. Granted, sometimes he is too smart for his own good, a quality that I think can be offputting to many voters. But in this case, when asked the first question about France’s artificial intelligence strategy, he unspooled a 16-minute response (read my translation of his response here if you are into that sort of thing) that had the moderator ever-so-gently trying to get him to wrap it up so everyone else could still get their turn.
“I'm sorry, that was long, but the subject was complex and vast,” Macron said.
Macron announced approximately 1,376 new programs last week (give or take) to support French startups, effectively renewing his entrepreneurial marriage vows. In the wake of all the swooning at Viva Tech, it’s safe to say this love affair is far from over.
As for the other 72% of the French population, well, maybe robots that deliver crêpes will finally win their hearts and minds for Macron.
Chris O’Brien
Le Pecq