In a rut for a long time. Is it finally ripe for a fall . We know we have to change a lot of things, but we did not want an economy just totally liberal. It sounds like you are in love with Emmanuel Macron. Maybe no, im very enthusiastic and i think, especially for the young people, he can bring hope to them. Look out for the teeth of the grey panthers. Yeah, you are dangerous . President Emmanuel Macron is intent on reform. He wants to open up the economy, to deregulate it it is, in a way, a form of economic shock therapy. The question is, can this new young president take his country with him . This change is real and its going to be maybe brutal . No, its not brutal, its dynamic. Chanting. Street demonstrations are as much a part of the french way of life as baguette and red wine. To explain, the sign says, look out for the teeth of the grey panthers. Yeah, youre dangerous . Are you angry . Very angry. What do you think of mr macron . Not good at all. Old people in france have always been a little bit grumpy when they see things they do not like, and what they do not like right now is Emmanuel Macron and his plan to tax their pensions. Better off pensioners will be hit hardest. Ironically, many of these grey haired protesters voted for young mr macron just five months ago. I think this increase of that tax csg is totally unfair because it is concentrated on one portion of the population. If you do not mind me asking, how much money are you going to lose with this tax change . I guess, about 1,000 euros a year. Thats quite a lot of money. It is, definitely. Do you think it will change your life in any way . Somehow, yeah. He is running after the euro. He completely neglected the base of the franc. Madame, you told me that you voted for him in the president ial election. Would you vote for him again . Probably a white vote, that would be. Abstain . Abstain, yes, exactly. You do feel very disappointed in him . Disappointed, definitely. The french president is yet to turn a0 but he is a man in a hurry. His en marche Political Movement broke the mould of french politics. Some in france see him as their clinton, or blair, with a once in a generation chance to build a more open, flexible, entrepreneurial france. Drum roll. The French National assembly is rich in tradition. It is also now dominated by a new breed of mp, macronists mostly successful professionals from business and Public Service drawn to the banner of reform. Jean Baptiste Djebbari is a pilot who was an executive in a private jet business. He abandoned the cockpit for a seat in parliament after being persuaded by the macron vision. I met the president i think 2. 5 years back now. It was injanuary, 2015. And i thought he was different from the politicians i got to know at the time, a lot more careful and responsive than the other politicians. I kept that in mind. And later in december, i read the political platform. Injanuary, i decided to run. I got nominated in may, and here i am, so. But you are a pilot. I mean, you do not know anything about politics. I mean, i did also part of my career in the ministry for transport, so i know the administration, i know how it works. I know also its limits. And because i am an entrepreneur, so i know what the social climate is, what tax and legal issues are. And this is the university of life, so to say, this can be ta ken into politics. We can bring something different. Obviously, we do not pretend we want to be politicians for the rest of our lives, and that is our strength, not a weakness. And we learnt fast thats also something. When you talk about what you bring, if you look at the breakdown of en marche mps, you are overwhelmingly about 70 of you from the upper middle class. You are not representative of all of france. Well, this is true, i have to admit. But this is a french cultural issue, and youre right. I mean, there are still some gaps to be filled, and that is also a commitment we have, but i can only say that youre right. But the point is, we sit here, as france is being polarised, frankly, by debate over the labour reforms. When you walk past, on your way to work, you walk past the renewed demonstrations, the manifestation, do you think, oh, my god, france is just fighting the same old battles and it will be the same old result . I think this is democracy but obviously, this is also a wave of democracy that france produced because there is a reluctance for reforms. And i think there is certain cultural reluctance for reform. And this is not the way i think. So how do you overcome that . We hope that if we produce effects quite rapidly, the Public Opinion will say ok, that happened. The macron message is, france is back. And erich bonnet is back too. Im stephen. Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for inviting me over. Welcome. New office, we moved two days ago. Two days so this is brand new for you . Yes. Lets have a look. Please. For the last three years, his office has been in london, but he has decided to move back to paris. You have a lot of unpacking to do. Yes. Still unpacking. Whats in here . Partly, it is about worries over brexit, mostly its driven by an enthusiasm for macrons economic policies especially his corporate and property tax cuts. Macron plans to lower Corporate Tax to 25 within the next five years. And when you left paris, it was how much . 33 . Its 20 in the uk, and it will be, i think, 18 or i7 in the coming years. So of course, its still more interesting in the uk but on the other hand, you have a lot of other advantages in paris and in france. Such as. Such as real estate is less expensive. Schools are more affordable. How many staff are you going to employ in this office this is empty now when you have filled it up . We have a total staff of nine. Within these nine, eight will be in this office at the very beginning of january. Im just wondering whether it is important to you that mr macron and his labour reforms mean you do not have to deal with trade unions, you have more flexibility about how you hire and fire, theres a cap on redundancy payments now does all this make a big difference to you . Yes. I wouldnt say a very big difference but a significant difference. Also, the flat tax on financial revenues is very clear and simple. It is a 30 flat tax. It sounds like you are in love with Emmanuel Macron. Maybe no, i am very enthusiastic. And i think, you know, i lived three years in london and i met a lot of wealthy people sometimes, but also i met a lot of young non wealthy people who worked in restaurants in london, simply because they wanted to have simply a job. I think macron will probably bring hope to these new generations also. Paris may look unchanging but it is not. Like any major city, the internet is remaking the economy. The uber taxi app has long been controversial here. They even have a phrase which captures french concern about what the gig economy is doing to traditionaljobs. Samir is an uber driverfrom one of pariss poorer suburbs. He takes me to his old turf, bondy a neighbourhood with a high immigrant population, widespread poverty, and sky high youth unemployment. Reform is a word that resonates here too. In a funny sort of way, it seems to me you are exactly the kind of guy that Emmanuel Macron believes in. You know, you are highly flexible. Do you have faith that, lets say five years from now, that five years of Emmanuel Macrons reforms, can really change the lives of people in this neighbourhood . Take the train south, out of paris, and a different france comes into view. Just as with trumps rise and the brexit vote, metropolitan attitudes do not always travel well. This is riom, my first time here. So ijourneyed to the rural auvergne region, for a different take on frances readiness for reform. Riom is home to 19,000 people, a country town shaped by farming, small business, and traditional values. Just outside town, the tobacco harvest is in full swing. This region has long grown the leaf at gauloises and gitanes. These days, imports have replaced much of the home grown supply. But here, they still make a tidy profit from virginia tobacco. Is it true to say that tobacco farming and growing is really part of the tradition of the tradition of the communities around here . It was. It was because today, unfortunately, it is almost over because every manufacturer closed. They prefer to sell and buy the tobacco where it is less expensive, in europe. It is not easy to businesses in france to maximise their profits because, for example, labour costs and the Labour Market is more difficult here than it is, for example, in poland thats just the truth. It is. For sure, it is, but it depends if you want to work with quality as well. I think quality is important. And the tradition. And the tradition, totally. And the community. Yeah, thats true. But some of these words are social words, theyre not economic words. Yeah, but i think we can combine. Today, i think, we really have to work with the social part and the liberal economic part, i think. One of rioms biggest employers has long been the cigarette factory, home to the gitanes brand, owned by uk based imperial tobacco. But the company shut it down earlier this year. Frances last cigarette factory stubbed out. Workers put up crosses outside the factory for every job gone. 239 of them. France has one of the highest unemployment rates in the western world. In an Industrial Estate on the edge of town, ijoined a group of former imperial employees, trying to persuade the company to let them partially reopen the factory as a co operative. Here in riom, the macron vision of a reformed Labour Market more freedom for employers to hire and fire runs into trouble. Back in the national assembly, battle lines are being drawn up for a prolonged struggle over Emmanuel Macrons reforms. It started with the labour laws, but will include pensions benefits, tax reform, and more. New voices are emerging on the left, to challenge the macron ascendancy. Danielle 0bono is a prominent voice in france unbowed. Were not defending the status quo. We do think that that Emmanuel Macron is the status quo, which is obeying the eu mandate, which is to destroy the labour laws. What were saying is that there are alternatives to this way. But if you look at the way france is responding, your party, the trades unions, have called for big demonstrations to show that the country rejects Emmanuel Macrons approach. To be honest, the demonstrations have not been that big. You on the left are not winning this argument. But were starting. Let me remind you that the vast majority of the population is against the reform. The opinion polls show that they dont trust that this reform will help them or help them find a job, because they are aware of what is being attacked is the protection of the. Thats because youre filling them with propaganda, telling them that is going to be the most disastrous thing that has ever happened. No, i think the people, especially the workers, know by experience. They know the reality, and the reality is that it is more flexibility, and no morejobs. Isnt the truth that you dont like the president ial style of macron you accuse him of being almost some sort of king, le roi and that is an argument about style, not an argument about substance . The thing is the government and the president has made his entire political reply is actually about style, a sort ofjupitarian president. He is the one who nicknamed himself. The jupitarian president simply means he is a guy that wants to get things done. You know, in france, its been so difficult. Everybody wants to get things done, we dont agree with the way things are supposed to be done, and to which interests things are supposed to be done. Paris is supposed to be the city of romance, but Emmanuel Macrons honeymoon with voters lasted no time at all. His Approval Ratings have plunged as hes pushed through his first reforms. Will this be another case of reformist ambition thwarted . Inside the french government, there is, as yet, no sign of panic. They have a mandate, and they have the optimism that comes with being political outsiders. Europe minister Nathalie Loiseau so is a technocrat who believes the logic of reform will prevail. Look at the reform programmes priorities. You know, weve a ready had, by president ial decree, the labour reforms. Wheels have, what, cuts to corporations tax, we have some property taxes are to be cut. At the same time, we have increased tax on pensioners, cuts to housing allowances, that many french people have relied upon. To many in this country, it looks like this is a policy programme of reform that favours the well to do. Except that there are many measures that you have not described, in favour of the weakest part of the population. We are increasing the minimum pension for the eldest. We are increasing the activity premium that we are giving to people who are entering jobs. Of course, when you downsize taxes, you are giving advantage to people who pay taxes. And these are the most the richest in the population. Half of the population doesnt pay the income tax in france. Were kind of message, though . But this idea of prioritising, with year one being a rush to cut Corporate Tax, cut property tax, whereas some of the more socially driven measures to help poorer folks are spread over the five years. No, they start already. There will be 15 billion euros dedicated to vocational training. There will be a shock in terms of helping people not dealing with unemployment. We have been very good at paying a lot of money for curing the diseases of our society. We would very much prefer to prevent these diseases from occurring. We have to encourage creating more jobs, and, for this, we need investment, and we need flexibility. Those kinds of words, particularly words like flexibility, to worry some people. They have it had been union demonstrations. Not so many, as youve seen. Well, presumably, youve witness the most elabe recent poll, then. 69 of people surveyed think the macron reforms are unfair. 59 believe they will not revitalise the economy or ease the situation in the country. And 49 say it is too early to have any sort of judgement. Because we just started, and we are starting with tough measures, because we found a budget which was really a huge problem for our country. So weve had to take tough decisions. Better to take them now than not to take them at all. You dont think macron cares that his Approval Rating has slumped from 60 to 40 . We are not expecting to have good polls every day, but we are expecting and trying to take good decisions. A final point, if i may. Macron is a man clearly a hurry. He has talked about wanting a jupitarian presidency, with godlike powers to change france. This is not a godlike power. When he mentioned jupiter, he said he had to give a sense to action but not involved in the daily dealing with things. This has been caricatured. Well, not by me, but by the french people. But you know, we are very good at caricaturing each other. Yeah, do you think. Well, let me put it this way do you think it was wise for the president to rail against quote slackers and cynics, and people who are nothing . He targeted politicians who have done nothing for years. And he was right for that. 0k, well finally, then, a pollster from ifop, again, talking about macrons style and this is what im getting at he says certain social groups see his style as a slap in the face and proof that this president doesnt care. All im saying is, do you think he needs to be careful moving forward . I think if you are always careful, you do nothing, and that is probably what has been going on in my country for decades. So this change is real and its going to be, maybe, brutal . No, its not brutal, its going to be dynamic. Emmanuel macron must always realise that winning the presidency was the easy part. Reforming france that has barely began. Hi there. Im going to talk about hurricane 0phelia in a moment, but first of all the weather here in the uk. This is the set up. Low pressure to the north of the uk. A weather front moving in with some wet weather and tightly packed isobars, telling you it will be a windy day with gales around coasts and hills in the north and west. Temperatures starting the day into double figures everywhere. So it will be a mild start. But windy as well. This area of rain will be slow moving across scotland and Northern Ireland. A damp start to the day across parts of Northern England, and the rainfall totals really mounting up across the high ground, the Cumbrian Fels in particular, could see around 60 80 millimetres of rain before the weather system is through. Behind that across scotland and Northern Ireland, yes, some sunshine through the afternoon but to the south of the front things turn increasingly wet through the afternoon. In wales the winds pick up in england and they should blow some holes into the clouds and occasional sunny spells are possible but overall we are looking at a lot of cloud. Now, through friday evening and overnight the weather front stops moving southwards and returns back northwards. We will be left with further rain across Northern England and north wales for a time. Slightly fresher air for scotland and Northern Ireland but it is not exactly cold, is it . 16 degrees overnight taking us into saturday morning across parts of Northern England and wales as well. Here is the chart as we start the weekend. The weather front pushing its way northwards with the wind coming from a long way south, dredging up some very mild air. Where it is cloudy temperatures into the high teens. Where we see some sunshine this weekend we could see highs up to 23 degrees. Way, way warmer than it should be at this stage of october. Now here is the chart for saturday. Most starting on a cloudy note. Rain moving away from Northern England but turning increasingly damp for western scotland. Rain for a time in Northern Ireland. A lot of cloud, yes, but mild everywhere and where we see sunshine it will be pleasantly warm, the best across eastern england. Maybe the chance of a few breaks of cloud on sunday, and where we see those breaks, temperatures up to 23 degrees but cloudy and wet and cool in the north west of scotland. Now beyond that we have to look at this, hurricane 0phelia, which this weekend is going to pass pretty close to the eastern azores. From there is stops being a hurricane on sunday. The winds expand as it moves underneath a powerfuljet stream and this storm system works towards the british isles. It could go to the west of ireland. It could go across the uk. A lot of uncertainty about the track. It wont be a hurricane when it reaches our shores but it could bring some stormy, disruptive weather, so make sure you stay in touch with the Weather Forecast over the next few days. Thats your weather. This is bbc news. Im james menendez. Our top stories the scandal surrounding the hollywood Film ProducerHarvey Weinstein deepens. Now, police in the us and uk have opened investigations. Oscar winner Emma Thompson has also spoken out. This man is at the top of a very particular iceberg. I dont think you can describe him as a sex addict. Hes a predator. Fears of a new civil war in iraq as iraqi troops head north, towards the countrys kurdish areas. Californias wildfires claim 31 lives. Hundreds are still unaccounted for. Thousands of people have been left homeless. And im rachel horne. From the business blacklist to Top Investment destination iran has been enjoying a post sanctions boom, but will President Trump spoil the party . Plus, recharged