It looks like Emanuel Macron is a man who emulates the Bourbon kings, he has learned nothing, and he has forgotten nothing, to paraphrase not-Tallyrand.

He is now calling the yellow vest protesters a hateful mob, all because they have the audacity to object to his policy to benefit the haves at the expense of the have nots.

He is blind in a way that the now-incarcerated Sarkozy could never:

Emmanuel Macron last night delivered a combative New Year’s address, vowing to push forward with economic reforms despite two-month long protests from what he termed a “hateful mob”.

The French President, whose televised address was broadcast form the Elysee Palace, acknowledged that “anger over injustices” lay behind the yellow vest movement that has scarred his second-year in office.

………

But the 41-year-old also strongly condemned protest-leaders. “Those who claim to speak for the people, but in fact speak for a hateful mob – attacking elected representatives, security forces, journalists, Jews, foreigners, homosexuals – are quite simply the negation of France,” he said.

………

Alexandra Schwarzbrod, an author and political analyst, argued that the President still lacked a common touch.

“He did a creditable job in terms of his political communication, but he still appeared fairly distant from the everyday problems the ‘yellow vests’ have injected into the political agenda,” she said.

Of course he seems distant.

He had a privileged childhood, the child of a doctor and a professor, and went to elite schools, and he has nothing but contempt for people who lack the initiative to have well-off parents.

Marine le Pen must be feeling very confident about her future right now.