French President Emmanuel Macron has been criticized for a perceived shift to the right after a televised press conference in which he endorsed policies such as school uniforms, a crackdown on drugs gangs, and measures to boost France’s declining birth rate. Left-wing commentators expressed disappointment over his apparent departure from the political balance of recent years, while right-wing commentators welcomed the shift but were skeptical about its sincerity. Macron’s language during the press conference suggested a recalibration of his program to counter the challenge from the hard-right nationalists of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party.

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