In politics, and certainly in government, this is an era of continuous communication, and one that sticks relentlessly to the news cycle. No sooner has one event been commented than we move to the next, and so on. Worse still, yesterday's words are worthless. Only today's are relevant, and it doesn't matter if they contradict previous statements. Emmanuel Macron is setting the example. The difference is striking if, for example, we lay side by side his recent interview in Le Figaro Magazine on August 2 – in which he exalts authority – and the one published on June 3, 2022, in several regional papers, in which he announced the creation of a National Reform Council (CNR). The contrast would be even harsher if we reread his 2016 book Révolution.

Admittedly, he has kept the promise of changing his method. But not in the sense proclaimed in 2022, quite the contrary: He has done so in the sense of a marked shift to the right, and of reinforced authoritarianism that could eventually lead our country down the road to illiberal democracy. Where is the commitment to "invent a new approach together," as announced in his inauguration speech on May 7, 2022?

What is the historical significance of the CNR, presented as a reference to the great history of the French Resistance, something to which Macron may see himself as the successor? What about the observation that "our compatriots want to be involved in decision-making" (June 3, 2022), even as he was preparing to use the means "allowed to [him] by the Constitution" (August 2), by which he means Article 49.3 [to force a bill through without a vote]? What connection is there between the one-year-old idea of "restoring vitality to our democratic debate" and setting up a cross-party commission on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the "far-reaching project" under development, from which he is excluding the Rassemblement National (RN, far-right) and La France Insoumise (LFI, radical left)? According to him, these parties are strangers to "the republican arc," as are the 30% to 40% of voters who side with them.

The observation of shifting assertions also applies to the short term. In the wake of the death of young Nahel M., killed on June 27 by a police officer in Nanterre, Macron spoke without delay of an "inexplicable, inexcusable" death. Then, on the subject of the riots that followed this tragedy, he told Le Figaro Magazine that when the heat is on, "We always say stupid things." Will he now always stay quiet in the heat of the moment?

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