Emanuel Macron is facing a new barrage of criticism after he advised an aspiring gardener seeking gainful employment to start looking for a job in high-demand sectors like restaurants and construction, France Presse wrote.
During a public open house at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, Macron was approached by a young man who told him that he was looking for a job as a gardener but all the resumes and letters he had sent to potential employers had led to nothing.
“If you’re willing and motivated, in hotels, cafes and restaurants, construction, there’s not a single place I go where they don’t say they’re looking for people. Not one – it’s true!” Macron replied.
He then advised the young man to go to Paris’ Montparnasse neighborhood, an area full of cafes and restaurants, where he said he was sure the man would surely find a job.
“Completely disconnected from the reality of the French,” one user wrote.
“How can someone show that much contempt, lack of empathy and ignorance in just 30 seconds?” wondered another.
It was the not the first time Macron has come under fire for making light of ordinary people’s concerns, for calling opponents to his reforms “slackers,” and lambasting trade union protesters for “stirring up trouble” instead of looking for new and better paid jobs.
Since his election in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has seen his approval ratings hit new depths as his economic policies, which many, including a number of economists, consider to be favoring the rich at the expense of less wealthy members of society.
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The recent lavish renovations Macron has made to one of his vacation homes have reinforced the feeling of disconnection between the president and ordinary French citizens.
