François Bayrou’s refusal to enter the government caused an explosion in the majority. The head of MoDem and the Prime Minister are now trying to play down the drama.
Not the crazy love between Gabriel Attal and François Bayrou? In any case, that’s the impression these last few weeks have given. At the beginning of January, the head of the MoDem went out of his way to Emmanuel Macron to try to prevent the appointment of the young minister to Matignon. Without success. A month later, acquitted by the courts, François Bayrou saw himself reopened to government. And decided, after a few days of negotiations, to slam it with a bang. What raises questions about the place of MoDem within the presidential majority? The two men are now trying to minimize the episode.
Thus, Thursday evening, 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”.
“We maintain a feeling of responsibility”
“There is no reason to have hard feelings,” François Bayrou in turn assured, Friday February 9 on France Bleu Béarn Bigorre. “I do not want to bring any controversy or gloss, we explained it, the Prime Minister said last night very honestly and very sportingly, friendly, what it was,” he greeted. He recognized a “difference of approach” on “education policy”, he who coveted the Ministry of National Education.
Finally, François Bayrou did not fail to reaffirm the place of his party within the presidential majority, declaring: “It is very good that in a political group like a majority, we can have approaches which are not the same , nuances, sometimes even a little more, divergences, and yet we maintain a feeling of responsibility.