French elites and the rule of Emmanuel Macron: Change within continuity?

Abstract

The article examines Emmanuel Macron’s attempts to respond to the request of the French society to reduce the distance between the country’s elites and the rest of the population, to make them more open and transparent, which included the purpose to fight corruption. In this regard, the authоr analyzes the particularities of the French elites in the previous era, the accumulation of problems giving rise to anti-elites sentiments among the French. Special attention is paid to the meritocratic system of social advancement, based on the criteria of the highest competency, as the main mechanisme of the reproduction of the elite stratum and preservation of its caste character. Emmanuel Macron, before his election to the presidency in May 2017, assured that he did not belong to the «caste» and promissed to take measures to reduce social inequality and renew elites. The article considers a certain reformatting of the party-political elite stratum after the victory of his «Republic on the Move!» party in the 2017 parliamentary elections, as well as steps aimed at improving school and university education in order to increase the effectiveness of «social lifts». At the same time, it is noted that a number of elements of the meritocratic system were preserved and even strengthened. The results of most of the reforms undertaken by the president have been half-hearted. Meanwhile, social unrest in the country, the movement of the «yellow vests» confirmed the growth of the anti-elites sentiments and the urgency to combat social discrimination. The coronavirus pandemic temporarily changed the priorities of the population, however sooner of later, these problems will get top on the agenda again.