Barely formed and already criticized. After two and a half months of waiting, Michel Barnier’s government was announced on Saturday evening, September 21. What can we say about this new executive and its chances of success? Interview with Yves Sintomer, professor of political science at the University of Paris-8.
5 min
A democratic betrayal for the left that came out on top in the legislative elections on July 7. A government that has no future for the president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella. After the dissolution and the political crisis it caused, more than two months without a fully functioning government, fifteen days after his appointment to Matignon, Michel Barnier finally has a government since yesterday evening.. Thirty-nine positions, including twelve for the Macronists and ten for the Republicans. The right-wing party, which nevertheless came fourth in the legislative elections, notably won the jackpot of the Ministry of the Interior, for the very conservative Bruno Retailleau. The socialist Olivier Faure speaks of a reactionary government, while in the team, several names have shocked even the MoDem and Macronie for having opposed reforms such as Marriage for All in the past.
RFI: The day after Michel Barnier’s appointment, two weeks ago, you said on RFI: “All that for that”. What do you say today?
Yves Sintomer: All that for that! Listen, we had a long period without a government, which is still unusual in a country like France. The President of the Republic did not give the New Popular Front, which came out on top, the opportunity to try to form a government that would pass the parliamentary ramp. It was unlikely that this would happen, but at least it would have respected the choice of the ballot boxes. And in the end, we have a government that is in line with the evolution of the various Macron governments, moving more and more to the right.
Who is even the most right-wing since the end of the Sarkozy five-year term…
There you have it. And which is also extremely fragile in terms of both its image in public opinion and the balance of power in Parliament.
Emmanuel Macron had set Michel Barnier the goal of getting as close as possible to national unity. Are we still very far away?
We are not at all on that ground. We have a coalition government between the centre-right and the right. This was already somewhat the case in the last governments, but it is becoming more pronounced on the right. The government will depend on the National Rally which will support them like the rope supports the hanged man and which will make him fall when it judges it useful. We could have had a government ” technical “, composed of personalities less marked politically than by their professional skills, having, I don’t know, trade unionists, business leaders…
There, today, we see more a distribution of positions in terms of political balance than of skills…
Yes, clearly, we have people – obviously, they will have to be judged on their actions – who have not, for the most part, distinguished themselves by long experience in the areas that they will be called upon to manage.
What should also be noted is the absence of big names, heavyweights, apart from Bruno Retailleau and Rachida Dati. And then there was the reluctance of Macronie, of the centrist MoDem which almost withdrew its support for the government in view of the conservative profiles of some like Bruno Retailleau. Internal tensions which therefore add to the fragility of this team in the face of the Hemicycle. Can this government really function without fracturing and last over time?
It is unlikely that it will last. But what does that mean? Will it fall in a few months? Will it fall in a year when legislative elections are possible? It is very difficult to say. What is certain is that it will not have much political leeway, I repeat, in public opinion and in Parliament to develop long-term action.
Maybe that’s also why there are no heavyweights today, it was too risky to join this team?
On the one hand, there is the fact that the potential heavyweights were saying to themselves: why go when it won’t last long “On the other hand, clearly, everyone among the heavyweights was thinking about the next presidential elections. At the same time, the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister were careful not to have overly developed egos in the future government.
On the subject of the supreme office, some speculate about Emmanuel Macron resigning before 2027. Does the political survival of the president depend on that of Michel Barnier and his government?
The President of the Republic could always appoint another government if Barnier’s fell. At the same time, it is clear that his position is very weakened, that his room for maneuver has been restricted. But I am not in the head of the President of the Republic and he has shown that he has been unclear in his political orientations. But his ego is such that it is not at all certain that he will resign one day.