Before becoming Prime Minister, François Bayrou refused to join the government of Gabriel Attal. His refusal caused an explosion within the majority.
Before being appointed Prime Minister this Friday, December 13, François Bayrou regularly claimed “a difference of approach on the method” of government and “an absence of deep agreement on the policy to follow” with the executives formed under Emmanuel Macron . It must be said that before his appointment at the end of the year, the man had several times hoped to form his own government but was always left at the gates of Matignon and preceded by others, like Gabriel Attal in January 2024.
The disappointments of not being appointed head of government, mixed with disagreements with successive Prime Ministers, have sometimes sparked sparks within the presidential bloc. The formation of the Attal government was one of these moments. François Bayrou had gone out of his way to prevent the arrival of Gabriel Attal at Matignon. He explained his opposition to Emmanuel Macron’s choice by his disagreement with the executive on “the question of identification of what deserves the most care and commitment in the country”. The policies and measures taken by the government were not the right priorities in the opinion of the president of MoDem. He would now himself be responsible for defining priorities and a method in an even more delicate context and then the objective of finding compromises with irreconcilable forces: the right, the central bloc and the left.
The beginnings of a break between MoDem and Macronie
The opposition was such that François Bayrou slammed the door of the Attal government before it opened. A refusal to join the new government which had exacerbated tensions already present between the old and new Prime Minister. The president of MoDem had even mentioned a “difference in approach” with Gabriel Attal to justify his refusal. This disagreement between two people close to Emmanuel Macron gave the impression of the beginnings of a rupture in the alliance between the centrists of the MoDem and the presidential camp.
If the episode had the effect of a shock wave within the Macronist political sphere, the two men had chosen to minimize the facts and give the lie. The following days, Gabriel Attal assured the country of his “sincere admiration” for François Bayrou. On France 2, he refuted any “incident” with the Macronists’ partner, simply recognizing a “disagreement on part of the line” with the one he nevertheless designated as a “pillar of French politics”. For his part, François Bayrou reassured his camp by saying he remained a “full member of the majority”. A member of the majority certainly, but with his ideas. No offense to Emmanuel Macron and others. Since if tensions persist, the instruction is to change the situation. The proof, this Friday Gabriel Attal did not hesitate to welcome Emmanuel Macron’s choice to appoint François Bayrou Prime Minister: “He has the qualities to defend the general interest and build the essential stability that the French expect”, he wrote on X.