Have you read The Demons (also translated as The Possessed) by Fyodor Dostoevsky? It is at once a political, philosophical, and tragic novel, published in 1872.
The story unfolds in a small Russian town shaken by revolutionary ideas. A group of young nihilist intellectuals, led by the scheming Pyotr Verkhovensky and the enigmatic Stavrogin, seek to sow chaos and overthrow the established order.
Through these characters, Dostoevsky explores the rise of radicalism, the loss of moral and spiritual bearings, and the dangers of a world stripped of transcendence. The novel is a visionary critique of destructive ideologies, where the “demons” symbolize unleashed human passions and nascent totalitarian ideas.
Stavrogin = Macron
He embodies a moral void, a form of nihilism: he fascinates without ever clearly committing, seduces without taking a stand, leaving behind him a trail of destruction. He is an enigma, a catalyst for violent political events, without showing firm ideological conviction.
Thus:
Political ambiguity: Like Stavrogin, Macron is sometimes seen as hard to pin down, positioning himself “at once left and right” (en même temps), embodying a kind of postmodern ideological blur.
Personal charisma and distance: Both inspire fascination and rejection, appearing as cold, cerebral figures, distant from the people.
Effects of their actions: Stavrogin, through his inertia and lack of commitment, contributes to chaos; one might see a parallel with Macron and the heightened social tensions under his presidency (Yellow Vests, protests, polarization).
BUT…
Macron is not fiction, and his political action takes place — one could say — within a “democratic” framework (?).
Stavrogin is tragic. Macron is strategic.
Conclusion: To say “Macron is Stavrogin” is a symbolic way of expressing something about our times — loss of reference points, ideological confusion, democratic disaffection. It is a literary image, useful insofar as it helps us think.
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