Activism / Emmanuel Macron Is on His Last Legs The French took to the streets en masse last week, days after the collapse of the latest Macron-aligned government. A girl holds a picture of French President Emmanuel Macron upside down at the beginning of a demonstration on September 10, 2025, in Bayonne, France. And they have long since had enough with the inflexibility of President Emmanuel Macron, who faces a growing authority crisis. On September 9, the night before Wednesday’s demonstrations, Macron moved to replace Bayrou with Sebastien Lecornu, a longtime ally who has most recently served as defense minister. Jalel, the striking hospital worker, denounced Lecornu as a choice for “continuity” by Macron.