REDESIGN. As he works on the organization of his future government, Emmanuel Macron would have a date in mind to announce the names of his future ministers.
In the fog of assumptions, Emmanuel Macron advances on the organization of the future government. The President of the Republic must play the tightrope walker on the political rope to pull the strings in his favor as well as possible, particularly in view of the legislative elections. The Head of State, who aspires to a profound change in his government team, must solve the equation of sensitivities so as not to turn his back on part of the electorate, in particular on the left and ecologists, who carried him in power. Is it for this reason that the re-elected president is delaying in announcing his decision? It is the first time that a re-elected president does not appoint his Prime Minister in the wake of his reappointment, leading to the formalization of the new government. In 1988, François Mitterrand had installed Michel Rocard in Matignon two days after his re-election, while in 2002, Jean-Pierre Raffarin had settled in the chair of Prime Minister the day after Jacques Chirac’s victory. This time, Emmanuel Macron is taking the time and should fit into a more traditional post-election time frame: between a week and ten days after the announcement of the results. The time to put on paper a definitive list of names that will implement its policy, among the dozens of avenues mentioned.
When will the redesign take place?
It is an understatement to say that Emmanuel Macron does not rush. While he could appoint a new Prime Minister the day after his re-election, Emmanuel Macron preferred to temporize and allow himself a week of reflection. No more. Because according to The world, the next Prime Minister could be appointed on Monday May 2, followed by the announcement of the government the following day, Tuesday May 3. A track which corroborates the first statements on the subject which put a piece on the week of May 2.
Who will be Emmanuel Macron’s new Prime Minister?
Emmanuel Macron said it himself: a new breath will (and must) be given to the ministries. A major overhaul to come, embodied by a change in the figurehead of government action: exit Jean Castex, France will have a new Prime Minister in the days to come. Enough to feed the speculations, sometimes the most eccentric. However, two serious names are mentioned with insistence: first, that ofElisabeth Borne, the current Minister of Labour. In the government since 2017 with, successively, the portfolios of Transport then Ecological Transition before her current morocco, she led the reform of the SNCF authorizing the opening to competition of rail transport despite a long strike in 2018, then that of unemployment insurance. Historically close to the Socialist Party, former adviser to the Ministry of National Education in the 1990s but above all director of cabinet to Ségolène Royal when the latter was Minister of Ecology (2014-2015), the former president of the RATP (2015-2017) ticks several boxes that Emmanuel Macron would be looking for: a profile rather to the left, with an environmentalist fiber and possibly feminine.
Moreover, the name of Julien Denormandie is regularly mentioned. Minister in charge of Agriculture, one of the linchpins of the 2017 victory and craftsman of the 2022 campaign could also be promoted to Matignon according to indiscretions. Because he is a faithful of Emmanuel Macron, even his carbon copy as some politicians describe him. Deputy Director of the Office of the Head of State when he was Minister of the Economy, he has held various ministries since 2017 (Secretary of State for Territorial Cohesion, then Minister of Cities and Housing). Discreet and pampered at LREM, he is presented as rather left-wing but technocratic, while having the ear of the president. But such a choice would not necessarily lead to complementarity with Emmanuel Macron.
While other profiles appear in the press, without necessarily being too serious -Gérald Darmanin, Bruno Le Maire, Richard Ferrand, Olivier Dussopt, Christine Lagarde, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet have notably been cited-, Emmanuel Macron has already announced new prerogatives for the Prime Minister, drawing the contours of the profile sought. The head of government will thus be “directly in charge of ecological planning”, supported by two ministers in charge of energy planning and territorial ecological planning. In this sense, the “NKM” rumor could (a little) gain in depth, she who was Minister of Ecology for a year and a half under Sarkozy’s mandate. But in 2017, his name had already been slipped, in vain.
On the other hand, that of Pascal Canfin would be a credible possibility. MEP elected on the LREM list, this former member of EELV was the general manager of WWF France. In Strasbourg, he is Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Author, with Barbara Pompili, Minister for the Ecological Transition, of a forum in The world promising “a climate programming law capable of reconciling ‘end of the world’ and ‘end of the month'” before the end of 2022, the elected official could be the president’s green surety.
But in Macronie, the more a name circulates, the less chance it would have of being confirmed in the head of the president. So, who will settle in Matignon? Emmanuel Macron should pull a new surprise out of his hat. François Patriat, LREM senator and president of the group at the Luxembourg Palace, summarizes in The Parisian : “he (Emmanuel Macron, editor’s note) is going to come out with a name that we did not see coming and we will all say: but why hadn’t we thought of it?” Only one thing is certain: the new Prime Minister will be appointed before May 13.
Who will be the new ministers?
- New ministers from LR?
Who says redesign, says new faces. When the secretary general of the Elysée will advance to the microphone installed on the steps of the presidential palace on the day of the announcement of the government, new and unpublished names will be listed. But which ones? It’s time for assumptions. Among the identities put forward, those of many mayors and local right-wing elected officials (ex or still LR) who actively supported Emmanuel Macron.
To start with Karl Olivethe mayor of Poissy, who could run for the Ministry of Sports in view of his career but could inherit the City according to European 1, Natacha Bouchartthat of Calais, Caroline Cayeux from Beauvais, Christian Estrosi from Nice, Hubert Falco from Toulon, Arnaud Pericard of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Delphine Burklithe 9th arrondissement of Paris, or even Catherine Vautrinpresident of Grand Reims, as well as the president of the Pays de Loire region, Christelle Morancais. The names of Martine Vassalpresident of the Aix-Marseille metropolis, of Renaud Muselier, president of PACA, Among all these names, none has hidden his support for Emmanuel Macron and all say they are Macron-compatible. Among the LR leaders, Damien Abad (boss of LR deputies) could be canvassed. The former minister Eric Woerth could also be offered a ministry.
- New ministers from the Socialist Party?
The left would also be eyeing ministerial functions. Thereby, Le Figaro argued in its April 26 edition that Mathieu Klein (Nancy), Michael Delafosse (Montpellier), Johanna Rolland (Nantes), as well as Valerie Rabault, president of the PS deputies in the National Assembly, would aspire to integrate the government. The former Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve should not be completely ruled out either. After the socialist fiasco in the presidential election, would the “French team of mayors” of Anne Hidalgo, young guard of the party, try to interfere in the mysteries of power to take the lead, even if it means turning the back to their family?
Other left-wing elected officials, openly Macron-compatible, could not be in the small papers elsewhere. If the mayor of Dijon and former minister Francois Rebsamen seems dismissed, some close to his movement are mentioned: the first city councilor of Clichy-sous-Bois Olivier Klein or that of Dunkirk Patrice Vergriete. Nathalie Niesonmayor of Bourg-de-Péage, also got involved in favor of Emmanuel Macron, she who was a socialist deputy.
- Which LREM elected officials could become minister?
If Emmanuel Macron has, between 2017 and 2022, buried the traditional parties that are Les Républicains and the Socialist Party, in which he could draw some of his future ministers, the President of the Republic must also look among his troops. And some promotions would not be incongruous, like several MEPs such as Stanislas Guerinialso LREM General Delegate, Sacha Houliepresent at the launch of En Marche, Jean-Noel Beamex-Modem, Aurore Berge, Roland LescureChairman of the Economic Affairs Committee, Yael Braun-PivetPresident of the Law Commission of the National Assembly. Alexis Kohlercurrent Secretary General of the Elysée Palace, is also mentioned to inherit a portfolio, in the same way as the MEP Valerie Hayer.
- Surprise ministers?
In a long list, Point also evokes various possible surprises, such as the troublemaker Robert Menardthe general manager of the French Tennis Federation Amelie Oudea-Castera, Gaspard Koenigwho had embarked on the battle for the presidential election to carry out administrative simplification, or even Rachel Khanactress, lawyer and author, in charge of a working group “on immigration, integration and secularism” during Emmanuel Macron’s 2022 campaign.
Which ministers could be retained?
A profound renewal of the government apparatus will be carried out. Among the 42 ministers, deputy ministers and secretaries of state currently in office, only a handful will be retained. It could even be counted on the fingers of one hand. The chained Duck said in mid-April that four or five ministers in office should, at most, inherit a portfolio again. If Elisabeth Borne and Julien Denormandie are in the running for the post of Prime Minister (read above), Gerald Darmanin (Interior) could once again be appointed head of a ministry, just like Bruno the Mayor (Economy), Gabriel Attal (spokesperson), Sebastien Lecornu (Overseas) or Olivier Dussopt (Public Accounts). An indiscretion of Figaro dated April 26 also suggests that John Castex could also be integrated into the new government.
Which ministers could leave the government?
Few ministers retained, it is the rest of the government team that will have to pack. Many are those whose names will not, a priori, be lying on the organization chart of the future government. One certainty: Jean Castex will leave Matignon. According to the JDD on April 24, exit also Jean-Yves Le Drian (Foreign Affairs) and Florence Parly (Armies) despite the international context of the war in Ukraine, just like Frederique Vidal (Higher Education), Marlene Schiappa (Citizenship) or Jean-Baptiste Djebarri (Transportation). Also unlikely to see Eric Dupond Moretti (Justice) and Roselyne Bachelot (Culture) reappointed, just like Jean-Michel Blanquer, to historical longevity at National Education. On the other hand, the spells ofOlivier Veran (Health) andAmelie de Montchalin (Transformation and Public Service) do not yet seem to be definitively settled.