This article comes from Figaro Magazine
For his brief and first Council of Ministers of the new government, on January 12, the President of the Republic brought in a television camera and photographers. He wanted to show something. To the general public first: show them that a team of 14 ministers and delegated ministers is enough to govern the country, even if it were to later complete its composition with secretaries of state. But he was also addressing the initiated, those who watch his every move: the government’s protocol order obviously has a very political meaning.
Emmanuel Macron places government number 2 on his right: Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and no longer the Keeper of the Seals as was done in the past (Dupond-Moretti, reappointed , is only 9th); he takes to his left Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Labor, Health and Solidarity, a newcomer whom he had considered in 2022 to be Prime Minister (before preferring Élisabeth Borne). Facing him is the youngest of all, Gabriel Attal, Prime Minister, who takes number 3 on his right, Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories.
Then, to the right of him, here, in plain sight, is the sensation of the week, Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture, new recruit of Emmanuel Macron, the ex-boss of the LR of Paris and who does not has not reduced his ambitions for the capital… On his left, the Prime Minister chose Amélie Oudea-Castera, the Minister of Youth and Sports (and the Olympics) who became Minister of National Education, positions from which Gabriel Attal comes to show the strategic importance (and that the unions will naturally work to disrupt)…
We can count on Macron to leave implications in what he does. The green room, on the first floor of the palace, where he brought together this Council of Ministers, is located next to the golden room, his presidential office, and it was completely renovated during the month of August 2022. However, the first president to have held his councils of ministers on this floor, it was General de Gaulle.
At the time these had barely more than 25 ministers; When Pompidou succeeds the General, he will take the Council down to the ground floor, to place 10 to 15 additional ministers and secretaries of state there. His successors continued. With the exception of Balladur, Jospin, Fillon and Édouard Philippe who insisted on tight governments. A priori, the small number of ministers makes each of them true professionals. We will soon know if Gabriel Attal confirms this opinion with Emmanuel Macron, who has experience of both compositions.
