PARIS — Here is a story you might have missed: France is becoming an unlikely leader in political and policy innovation, a field it has rarely excelled in.
It’s an improbable story. France, after all, has not had a balanced budget since 1974, and, over the past decade, it has been unable to implement meaningful economic reforms. But when it comes to responding to populism, French President Emmanuel Macron has proven surprisingly innovative.
It’s hard to miss Macron’s exploits on the international stage, whether he’s strong-arming British Prime Minister Theresa May in the U.K. or shaking hands with Donald Trump in Brussels. But that’s what charismatic leaders do. Where he’s really breaking ground is France’s domestic agenda.
Take employment policy. In a dramatic contrast to the empty promises of traditional politicians and populist parties, Macron has openly and unapologetically admitted that no one — himself included — can protect jobs in this disrupted economy.
Europe has often counted on Germany to lead the way. But when it comes to the fight against populism, it may be time to look to Paris.
And he’s right. It’s a fool’s errand to try to protect jobs in the face of galloping technology and globalization. Claiming otherwise is the worst kind of lie a politician can tell a vulnerable, disenfranchised population.
Instead, Macron has recognized that in a global economy, the welfare state should seek to protect not jobs, but individuals. And he has acknowledged that the most detrimental inequality in modern societies is not in income levels, but professional preparation.
And so he has called for the state to invest heavily in education and training to help prepare workers to compete in global labor markets. He is also seeking to provide individuals with the support — like health care and child care — that boosts productivity.
Making this system work will require political courage and time — a major challenge in a world where populists beguile voters with bumper-sticker arguments about job protection and the dangers of globalization.
If Macron is to succeed, he will have to rip the banner of “disruption” from the populists and reveal them for what they really are: a conservative force that wants to protect an unsustainable status quo. He will have to make it clear that their so-called solutions are not only doomed to fail, but that they will also harm the most vulnerable groups of society.
It is easy to dismiss Macron’s vision as too idealistic, or impossible to implement. It is even easier to dismiss the rise of populism as an accident of history, and to wait for a reversion to business as usual. In France, especially, that’s what politicians would have traditionally done.
What works in France will offer solutions for the rest of the EU and the West — in particular when it comes to employment.
To be sure, Macron’s agenda is fraught with political peril. But his message of transformation is what got him elected in the first place. It’s a powerful reminder that Macron has the mandate to transform France into a real anti-populist lab and devise sustainable solutions to the legitimate grievances of a public disillusioned with the establishment’s broken promises.
Nobody expected France to be playing this role. But all across the Continent — from the United Kingdom to Austria to Italy — established political parties are either falling to the populists or adopting their policies. Meanwhile, France is reinventing the political center as an alternative to meet the demands of a rebellious and disillusioned public.
In the aftermath of the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump, all eyes turned to Germany as the most likely global leader. But no real political reinvention has taken place in Berlin, where a weakened Chancellor Angela Merkel has not only failed to show the same political will to innovate, but is struggling to form a government.
What works in France will offer solutions for the rest of the EU and the West — in particular when it comes to employment. Europe has often counted on Germany to lead the way. But when it comes to the fight against populism, it may be time to look to Paris.
Jeremy Ghez is an affiliate professor of economics and international affairs at HEC Paris.
[contf] [contfnew] 
