With "efficiency, representativeness and responsibility," French
President Emmanuel Macron outlined his roadmap for the eurozone's second
largest economy over next five years during which he says he wants to
restore voter confidence and the country's sovereignty.
"The people have given us a mandate. I want to talk about the
institutions that I want to change and the principles of actions I
intend to follow," Macron said, "Commitments will be met, reforms will
be done," he added.
Macron pledged to cut the number of lawmakers by a third, while
promising to strengthen the parliament's means so that "work becomes
more fluid."
Furthermore, he wants to remove the Court of Justice of the Republic,
which handles government officials' trails, and instead further
reinforce magistrates' independence.
"Laws are made to frame the deep trends of our country," he said,
calling for effective institutions and less overall legislation.
In a 90-minute speech, Macron said he would resort to referendums if
parliament does not vote major institutional reforms quickly enough.
"I hope that all the deep transformations, which I have just
described and of which our institutions are in desperate need, are
adopted within a year," he told parliament.
Macron also said he would lift the state of emergency, imposed in the
wake of Paris attacks on November 2015, in autumn in order to
"re-establish the freedom of the French."
"The penal code as it is and the powers of magistrates as they are
can -- if the system is well ordered -- allow us to annihilate our
enemies," he said.
Having never held elected office before, Macron won the French presidency on May 7.
He came under fire for convening a joint session of parliament, known
as a congress, and vowed to transform it to an annual meeting, defying
critics of concentrating too much power in the presidency.
Right-wing lawmaker Nicolas Dupont-Aignan said he was disappointed by the declaration that lacked "concrete" proposals.
Left-wing veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon, who leads the 17-strong "France Unbowed" group in parliament, boycotted the congress.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will give details on the president's
economic and social project in the National Assembly on Tuesday