Did French President Emmanuel Macron "astroturf" his way to power?

Members of Macron's own party are alleging that the French president duped his own supporters while paying people to show up at his rallies.

His party, En Marche, is a "giant swindle," according to one supporter.

Daily Express:

EMMANUEL MACRON duped supporters to get to the top and his En Marche! movement will fail to live up to expectations, his own party members have blasted. 

The damning verdict will come as a blow to the French President whose reputation has been left battered after poll results revealed his popularity has plunged after just 100 days in office.

President Emmanuel Macron promised to reform labour laws in the lead up to his election victory as he planned to kick start the revitalisation of the French economy. 

But members of the En Marche! party say it was a “giant swindle” and claimed people were even paid to take part in rallies supporting President Macron. 

Tiphaine Beaulieu, a French teacher who joined the party earlier this year, said: “In the eyes of activists and elected officials who support them, En Marche is starting to look like a masquerade, a giant swindle based on praiseworthy values that only serve marketing purposes.”

She told politics news site Politico.co.uk supporters were duped by a “startup culture”. 

The French president's honeymoon is over as his centrist leaning administration attempts to steer through a series of unfortunate gaffes and stumbling blocks that have damaged his reputation and called his credibility into question.

 It is believed policy mistakes and communications blunders will be placed under review as he seeks to regain his popularity in France.

Warning of tough times ahead for the 39-year-old president, Ms Beaulieu added: “A lot of local elected officials are not going to want to work with En Marche for the senatorial and municipal elections.”

Ahead of his stunning election victory, Ms Beaulieu claimed Macron’s movement abandoned democratic processes for nominating candidates, disbanded internal committees without warning and blacklisted rebellion members by deactivating their accounts. 

An official for President Macron strongly denied the claims, saying: “We’re not sure what’s really motivating her here.” 

A spokesman defended En Marche! movement, adding: “After a campaign, there is always a period of reckoning. 

Macron appears to be turning out to be the Obama of France.  Obama's soothing, uplifting rhetoric during the campaign did not match his radical agenda once he got into office.  This kind of bait and switch is what Macron has been doing.

Macron doesn't appear to have much of an agenda at all – at least, one that's achievable.  His labor reforms have already met with stiff opposition from government workers, and he still has no idea how he's going to trim 4 billion euros to meet E.U. target deficits.  He cut 900 million euros from the defense budget, angering the military and defense industries.  And it doesn't appear that members of his party are all on the same page.

The French president's approval rating is at a dismal 36%, lower than his predecessor's rating at the same point in his term.  Former president Hollande also ran into difficulties trying to reform the socialist labor laws that have led to a stubborn 10% unemployment rate.  Macron doesn't look as though he's going to have any more luck with the workers than Hollande had, which will almost certainly drive his approval numbers lower.