France’s responses to the challenges facing the country

The French-American Foundation partnered with the French Consulate of New York to host guest speaker Roland Lescure, Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee in French Parliament, Elected Congressman to represent French citizens living in North America under President Emmanuel Macron’s majority in June 2017 at a breakfast event this Monday.

The group of 20 participants discussed the French government’s responses to the international and domestic challenges facing the country.

International concerns, especially France’s foreign relations, are high priorities for the French government. As right-wing political parties grow throughout Europe, the French government has attempted to strengthen its ties with EU countries to maintain a collaborative political system within the continent. Lescure argued that the transatlantic relationship with the US is of great importance for the French government, as well, and that Macron and Trump have maintained a functional relationship between them.

The speaker also shared his views on the most pressing domestic challenges facing the country and their relationship to the international political climate. Inequalities in gender, race, socioeconomic status, and location have a myriad of consequences for the country. Urban areas profit more than their rural counterparts, which limits access to education and jobs. This divide, in turn, affects economic growth and the political sentiments of French citizens toward the administration and the international community. The government considers it essential to narrow this gap and verify that laws ensuring equal opportunity are effectively carried out by employers.

Through a diverse set of questions, the participants guided the conversation toward complex approaches to solving questions such as the refugee crisis, globalization, and integrating new technologies into French society. The breakfast demonstrated an ongoing commitment by the French-American community to address concerns on both sides of the Atlantic.