Macron: 'I Will Govern Like A Roman God'

Macron: 'I Will Govern Like a Roman God'

French president Emmanuel Macron has declared he will govern France like Jupiter, the Roman king of the gods, shortly after officials told the media his thought process was “too complex” for journalists to understand.

Summoning over 900 politicians from both houses of the French parliament to a rare Congress at the palace of Louis XIV – the ‘Sun King’ – in Versailles.

Such assemblies are usually reserved for times of national crisis, but the former banker used his to threaten to overrule lawmakers with a referendum if they try to frustrate the “reforms” he wishes to impose on the legislature.

Reuters reports him as saying he desires to reign as a “Jupiterian” president – “a remote, dignified figure, like the Roman god of gods, who weighs his rare pronouncements carefully”.

People say Trump is unstable for tweeting memes but Macron is going around declaring himself a Roman god pic.twitter.com/pX5L9cnw8G

Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) July 4, 2017

This bizarre statement of intent comes just days after Macron scrapped the president’s tradition Bastille Day press conference, with an Elysée Palace official claiming the president’s thoughts are “too complex” for journalists.

The 39-year-old’s “complex thought process lends itself badly to the game of question-and-answer with journalists”, the spokesman explained – prompting much mockery in the French press.

Not-making-this-up dept: Macron doesn't do Q&A w/ journalists because his thoughts are much "too complex" – Elysée https://t.co/g3cMxeXPzU

— Pierre Briançon (@pierrebri) June 29, 2017

It has been speculated that Macron is keen to cultivate an aloof, almost imperial aura after being derided as a placeman for the unpopular socialist François Hollande, in whose government he served as economy minister, or as a poodle for Angela Markel, the German chancellor widely regarded as the European Union’s driving force.

“You are the heir of François Hollande,” scoffed nationalist rival Marine Le Pen during their head-to-head election debate. “We now call you Baby Hollande; Hollande Junior!”

She added that, whatever the outcome of the election, “France will be led by a woman: either me or Mrs. Merkel.”

Efforts by the EU loyalist to strengthen his public standing by picking fights with the governments of Central Europe, who have been resolutely defiant in the face of attempts by Brussels to impose compulsory migrant quotas on them, have been less than successful.

Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán gently dismissed him as “a new boy” who had yet to find his feet.

“Macron’s entrance wasn’t too encouraging, as he thought the best way to show friendship was to immediately kick Central European countries. This isn’t how we do things around here, but he’ll soon get to know his way around,” he added.