Edouard Philippe counts two members of his party among the ministers, but does not seem convinced by the rest of the government with its “surprising” composition.
Discreet during the (long) reshuffle, Edouard Philippe still kept an eye on the team changes in the government. While the other ally of the majority, François Bayrou’s MoDem, insisted on having four elected officials from its ranks within the executive, the boss of the Horizons party must be content with two ministers. The Norman, however, says he is satisfied since the balances within the majority are respected, and especially because his two foes are in key positions: Christophe Béchu in Ecological Transition and Frédéric Valletoux is Minister Delegate in charge of Health.
Beyond the interests of his party, what does the former Prime Minister and supposed candidate for the 2027 presidential election think of the new government? The preferences of Edouard Philippe had already been thwarted during the appointment of the tenant of Matignon, he who campaigned for the maintenance of Elisabeth Borne and not for the arrival of Gabriel Attal at the head of the executive.
Even if he did not defend his appointment, Edouard Philippe recognized the “talent” in the new Prime Minister and gave the impression of understanding the choice of the head of state in La Tribune Sunday : “By appointing Gabriel, the president has returned to a certain form of audacity. I am the least well placed to take offense at it. On the contrary. I have benefited from it.” But the praise does not go further, a precaution voluntarily taken by the putative presidential candidate? Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal are returned back-to-back in the hypotheses and polls for the 2027 election as possible majority candidates, but the boss of Horizons does not yet count his successor among the candidates vying for the position. next presidential election.
A government with a “surprising” composition
A talented Prime Minister therefore, but at the head of a government with a “surprising” composition according to Edouard Philippe. The man quibbled over the retention of Amélie Oudéa-Castéra at the Ministry of Sports after her failed move to Education, a first appointment that he does not seem to have understood either. It is also the arrival of Stéphane Séjourné at Foreign Affairs which questions him, in particular the minister’s abilities to occupy the post, as does that of Rachida Dati at Culture. “I watched what happened with interest and a certain distance. Without getting upset, and knowing that the main thing is less the composition of the government than what it must do,” indicated the former tenant of Matignon to the Sunday newspaper.
Visibly skeptical of certain members of the ministerial team, Edouard Philippe says he expects the government to “provide solutions”. “What interests me now is that France is moving forward,” he added, specifying that his support for the government is still relevant, but that it will not be done at any price: “As much as I can support him, I will support him. I am a team player.”