He announced that he was considering running for president in April 2016,[39] and after his resignation, media sources reported patterns in Macron's fundraising matching typical presidential campaign tactics.

[48] Macron's campaign, headed by French economist Sophie Ferracci, announced in December 2016 that it had raised 3.7 million euros in donations without public funding (as En Marche !

[60][61][62][63][64] Mediapart reported that Macron had over fifty magazine covers dedicated purely to him compared to Melenchon's "handful", despite similar online followings and both displaying momentum during the campaign.

[114] In response to Penelopegate, the National Assembly passed part of Macron's proposed law to stop corruption in French politics in July 2017, banning elected representatives from hiring family members.

[116] Macron's plan to give his wife an official role within government came under fire with criticisms ranging that it was undemocratic to the ostensible contradiction to his fight against nepotism.

[118] On 9 August, the National Assembly adopted the bill on public ethics, a key theme of Macron's campaign, after debates on scrapping constituency funds.

[122] The government announced the proposed changes to France's labour rules ("Code du Travail"), among the first steps taken by Macron to galvanize the French economy.

[125] The National Assembly including the Senate approved the proposal, allowing the government to loosen labour laws after negotiations with unions and employers' groups.

[126] The reforms, as discussed with the unions, limited payouts for dismissals deemed unfair and gave companies greater freedom to hire/fire and to define working conditions.

[143] In January 2020, after weeks of protest against the pension plan, including transport shutdown and vandalism across Paris, Macron compromised by revising the retirement age.

Interior Minister Gérard Collomb described France as "still in a state of war" ahead of the vote, following the 1 October Marseille stabbing two days prior.

[158] In response to the chemical attack in Douma, Syria in 2018, Macron directed French participation in airstrikes against Syrian government sites, coordinated with the US and UK.

[159][160] In his first major foreign policy speech on 29 August, Macron stated that fighting Islamist terrorism at home and abroad was France's top priority.

[162] Prior to the 45th G7 summit in Biarritz, France, Macron hosted Putin at the Fort de Brégançon, stating that "Russia fully belongs within a Europe of values.

Macron, who "attempted a high-risk diplomatic gambit", thought that the Foreign Minister might be able to defuse the tense situation over the Iranian nuclear programme in spite of the recent uptick in tensions between Iran and the US and UK.

[176] After a call between Macron and President Joe Biden on request from the latter, the two leaders agreed to reduce bilateral tensions, and the White House acknowledged the crisis could have been averted by open consultations.

Macron's second term began with two political controversies: within hours of the new Cabinet's announcement, rape accusations against the newly appointed Minister for Solidarity Damien Abad were made public[185] and, on 28 May, handling of the 2022 UEFA Champions League final chaos drew criticism.

[186] In June 2022, Macron and his government fought the 2022 legislative election during an unusually long campaign dominated by the formation of the left-wing NUPES coalition seeking cohabitation and political controversies affecting his new cabinet.

On 12 June, the first round left Macron's centrist alliance almost tied with Mélenchon's NUPES in the popular vote (25.8% v. 25.7%), both ahead of Le Pen's RN, which finished third with 18.7%.

[188] The speech, which intended to stress the importance of having a majority government in "troubled times", was criticized by opposition leaders and was widely regarded as "counterproductive", even inside Macron's camp.

[citation needed] Despite its minority legislative status, Macron's government passed bills to ease the cost-of-living crisis,[196] to repeal the COVID "sanitary state of emergency"[197][198] and to revive the French nuclear energy sector.

They partly bypassed Parliament by resorting to the provisions of Article 49.3 of the Constitution in order to break the parliamentary deadlock;[207] nationwide protests that had begun when the change was proposed increased after the vote.

[209] French authorities faced growing riots following the killing of Nahel M., aged 17, by a police officer during a traffic stop in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre.

[214] On 20 July, Macron reshuffled government at the end of the "hundred days of appeasement and action" he called for in April following violent protests over his pension system reform.

Absent legislative progress on his domestic priorities and the continued lack of a working majority in Parliament, media reports emerged of a potential change of Prime Minister.

National Education and Youth Minister Pap Ndiaye and State Secretary to the PM Marlène Schiappa came under public and parliamentary scrutiny in recent months, were sacked.

On 19 December, the French Parliament passed the legislation thanks to support from the conservative LR and far-right RN parliamentary groups and in spite of a major rebellion from Macron's own coalition.

[219] In January 2024, Macron requested Borne's resignation and subsequently replaced her with Gabriel Attal, who became the youngest head of government in French history and the first openly gay Prime Minister.

[250] In March, Macron and Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva agreed about cooperation between Brazil and France on environmental issues, including the transmission of 1.1 billion dollars for preserving the Amazon rainforest.

[264] By the end of September 2017, seven out of ten respondents said that they believe Macron was respecting his campaign promises,[265][266] though a majority felt that the policies the government was putting forward were "unfair".