French press review 4 July 2017

Today's papers are all about President Emmanuel Macron's bmaiden address to a joint session of Congress gathered at the Versailles Palace on Monday.

"Macron sets 12-month deadline to reform the French Republic" headlines Le Parisien in its lead article on the French President's first major address to France since his inauguration in May.

The paper underscored the young leader's promise to "restore France's conquering spirit and to lead a French renaissance.

Macron offered to slash the number of French lawmakers by one-third and to reintroduce a degree of proportional representation in the electoral systemn threatening to to call a referendum if lawmakers fail to agree on the reform.

La Croix commends the President for what it described as a thoroughly prepared speech, littered with slogans in which the President describes the menu and general articulation of his mandate.

According to the Catholic daily, he offered not just a new road map for France but also showed a strong determination to see it through, expressing his openness to dialogue while avoiding issues capable of inciting blind social unrest.

For La Croix, Macron continues making good progress with the winds blowing in his direction, as he manoeuvers to avoid obstacles littering his way including those expected and awaited.

Right-wing Le Figaro voices skepticism about the president's capacity to deliver the "profound transformation" of French politics he spoke about.

After watching Francois Hollande's failure to rise to his high office, the paper argues Macron chose to adopt the reverse attitude -- showing the pedigree and stature necessary to rule a country.

That according to le Figaro, is not the case of France, the paper pointing to the magnitude of the protest vote and abstention levels during the recent Presidential and parliamentary elections.

Libération describes President Macron's offer as a clear disappointment arguing that he fell short of meeting the expectations he himself created by convening a session of congress in the gold-plated Versailles.

According to the left-leaning newspaper, little will be remembered of his performance at such a place where the giants of French politics tread before him.

Les Echos believes Emmanuel Macron has put himself in an untenable situation as he tries to restore a sense of dignity to the Presidential office which he considers as having been weakened by his predecessors and at the same time proving unable to back up his passion with substance.

The economic daily, is one several right-wing publications which accuse Macron of trying to steal the thunder of his prime minister,

L'Humanité says people destabilized by President Macron's complex thinking would breathe a sigh of relief, after listening to the long wily sermon and rosary of platitudes he served lawmakers who honoured the invitation to attend the session of the French congress in Versailles.