Sure of its effect, Emmanuel Macron wants to make it last. A week after launching his big back-to-school upheaval, which led him to dismiss his prime minister Élisabeth Borne, replace her with Gabriel Attal and appoint a new government around him, the head of state explains himself. The president must unveil the main guidelines for the remainder of his five-year term, this Tuesday evening from 8:15 p.m., during a major press conference broadcast live from the Élysée.
The day after a reception already organized at the Palace, where he invited majority parliamentarians on Monday, partly precipitated by the appointments of right-wing defectors Rachida Dati (Culture) and Catherine Vautrin (Labor, Health, Solidarity). As well as the controversy surrounding the schooling of the children of Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (National Education and Olympic Games) in a private establishment.
Emmanuel Macron’s intervention will be an “exercise in explanation and transparency,” says a Renaissance manager. With the hope that this speech dispels the “misunderstandings” and reaffirms the priorities – full employment, security, immigration, environment… It will be, says those around him, “an element” of the “meeting with the nation” announced early December. And which would in fact have already started without anyone really noticing. “The wishes of the president, the appointment of the prime minister, then of the government, and this press conference are part of the same framework, placed under the sign of regeneration,” explains an advisor.
This “regeneration”, which is based on fourteen ministers designated by Emmanuel Macron as the “soldiers of Year II of the five-year term”, is supposed to relaunch his second term. But also to better respond to the National Rally (RN) in view of the European elections. Did Gérald Darmanin not describe this new act in Le Figaro as an “electric shock designed to win” the June 9 election? “We must deliver results and not be afraid to strike,” summarizes Loïc Signor, spokesperson for Renaissance. Kindness has limits. With this new government, the state of mind will change.”
Faced with the Republicans (LR) stung by the surprise poaching of Rachida Dati and the Lepénists trying to establish themselves as the first adversaries of Emmanuel Macron, “we are going back to the ground”, assures the leader of the Renaissance deputies , Sylvain Maillard. At the National Assembly, Gabriel Attal is expected this Tuesday for his first grand oral in his new clothes: in front of his deputies in the morning; in the Hemicycle for questions to the government in the afternoon.
Also read: What is the x-ray of Gabriel Attal’s team?
Anxious to call his troops to “unity”, the Prime Minister intends to close their ranks. In recent days, the left wing as well as allies François Bayrou and Édouard Philippe have been privately upset at seeing themselves marginalized in the government. The two partners of MoDem and Horizons shared their bitterness during a private exchange, in the wake of the nominations. Held back by obligations in their strongholds of Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) and Le Havre (Seine-Maritime) on Monday evening, according to their entourage, neither had responded favorably to the invitation from the Élysée , unlike their parliamentarians. “The MoDem and Horizons are upping the ante by saying that the government is Sarkozy and that it is a scandal. But, in reality, they are just trying to rebalance things with secretaries of state,” summarizes a person close to Emmanuel Macron.
According to our information, the President of the Republic plans to complete the government only after Gabriel Attal’s general policy declaration, scheduled for next week. “It would have a political interest: that of calming things down by making everyone hopeful,” observes a Renaissance deputy for whom “there will inevitably be a lot of frustrated people.” Especially since the objective, at the Élysée, is not to exceed around thirty members in total, while Élisabeth Borne’s team had 40 in December, before Aurélien Rousseau (Health) slammed the door because of his disagreement on immigration law.
For the moment, Gabriel Attal is still unclear about his intention to seek a vote of confidence from the deputies or not. A custom that his predecessor had not honored, due to lack of an absolute majority. “To immediately take the risk of seeing your government fall, that seems unlikely to me,” anticipates the boss of the Horizons deputies, Laurent Marcangeli.
It must be said that questions are multiplying within the Macronist coalition itself. Stunned by the latest appointments and by the tightening of the immigration law, the deputies of the left wing must meet on the sly Tuesday morning to look into the future. At this stage, however, no law as controversial as this one is expected in Parliament by the summer. Deputies and senators are preparing to debate the legalization of active assistance in dying, the future of farmers and the inclusion of the right to abortion in the Constitution.
If the Head of State plans to speak at length to journalists on Tuesday evening, there is however no question of detracting from Gabriel Attal’s declaration, assures those around him: “The roles are well distributed. The President of the Republic sets the line and the major projects. The Prime Minister is responsible for translating them operationally into legal texts and regulatory measures.” Fidelity to the original spirit of the Fifth Republic: a refrain always proclaimed, rarely applied.
