France in preelection push to soften the eurozone's budget rules French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing to water down the eurozone's budget criteria. But some economists don't think that's a good idea. Watering down the eurozone's budget rules may prove a difficult task for France given objections by fellow bloc members Less than a year before France's next presidential elections, President Emmanuel Macron seems to be pushing for a softening of the eurozone's budget rules to gain voter support. But some economists throw their hands up in despair. The idea was brought back on the table through a recent scientific note by the Paris-based think tank Council of Economic Analysis.