Emmanuel Macron promises political renewal

President Emmanuel Macron on Monday promised a “profound transformation” of French politics, proposing to slash by a third the number of MPs, and telling lawmakers he would call a referendum if they do not agree.

In his first address to members of the National Assembly and Senate since his election in May, Mr Macron delivered a US-style state of the nation speech in the Versailles palace, the former seat of French kings, saying the country must change.

“Until now, we were too often on the wrong track,” said the 39-year-old leader, who won office on a promise of political renewal. “We preferred procedures to results, rules to initiative, a society where you live off inherited wealth, to a just society.”

He confirmed a plan to implement reform of France’s jaded political system, changes first raised during campaigning. Mr Macron said the EU has “lost its way”, calling for a “new generation of leaders” to revive the bloc. “The building of Europe has been weakened by the spread of bureaucracy and by the growing scepticism that comes from that,” he said.

Mr Macron said he will “re-establish the freedoms of the French people by lifting the state of emergency this autumn” that has been in effect since the jihadist attacks in Paris in November 2015 that killed 130 people.