Michel Barnier’s government gets to work this Monday with a first meeting before the Council of Ministers scheduled for this Monday at 3 p.m. The ministers are expected to make a decision on several issues such as taxes, pensions and immigration while the threat of censure looms.
11:03 – Bruno Retailleau “will not tolerate any offense”
Bruno Retailleau took his place at the Ministry of the Interior and stated that he wanted to “restore order” considering “order as a condition of freedom” but also “of equality” and “of fraternity”. He believes that “the slope to climb is steep and it will be hard” and warns that “this cannot be done with the snap of a finger, it will take perseverance”. The minister who became France’s top cop also expressed his support for the police: “For you, I will not give up, I will not tolerate any offense, any attack, physical of course, but no more for verbal violence”.
10:39 – Sylvain Maillard calls for “reassuring signals” on social rights
The presidential camp continues to express its doubts about the government’s positions on social rights, particularly medically assisted procreation (MAP) or abortion, while very conservative figures such as Bruno Retailleau, Laurence Garnier and Patrick Hetzel have become ministers. “We must send reassuring signals to society as a whole. I don’t think the French want a step backwards on MAP, abortion or on the social rights that were hard won,” Macronist MP Sylvain Maillard said on France 2The day before, the Prime Minister promised to be a “bulwark” protecting “all laws” on social rights.
10:20 – The meeting at Matignon is over, transfers of power to follow
The morning meeting between all the ministers is over and the members of the government are gradually leaving Matignon. Several of them will return to their ministries to proceed with the transfer of power and officially take over. Here are the scheduled meetings:
- 10 a.m.: transfer of power at the Ministry of Justice between Eric Dupont-Moretti and Dider Migaud
- 10:15 a.m.: transfer of power at the Ministry of Health between Catherine Vautrin and Geneviève Darrieussecq
- 10:30 a.m.: transfer of power at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between Stéphane Séjournée and Jean-Noël Barrot
- 10:30 a.m.: transfer of power at the Ministry of the Interior between Gérald Darmanin and Bruno Retailleau
- 11 a.m.: transfer of power at the Ministry of National Education between Nicole Belloubet and Anne Genetet
- 12 p.m. handover of power to the spokesperson between Prisca Thévenot and Maud Bregeon
10:00 – Barnier expects “irreproachable and modest” ministers
At his first government meeting, Michel Barnier asked his ministers to be “irreproachable and modest” and “to act more than to communicate” as well as “before communicating” reports The ParisianThe Prime Minister, still calling for openness, despite a government comprising almost exclusively the presidential camp, his allies and the right, demanded from his ministers “respect for all our fellow citizens and for all political parties and to listen to everyone […] “The best ideas must come from everyone”: “This government will be republican, progressive and European.”
09:22 – The government is not a “hostage” of the RN, yet decisive
“Obviously the RN holds part of the solution to censorship” against the Barnier government, recognizes the spokesperson for Ensemble, Martin Garagnon, on RFI. A decisive role for which the left is responsible according to him by wanting to vote for the motion of censure. Faced with this threat and the arbitration of the RN, the Macronist assures however that the government, no more than the presidential camp, “will never be the hostage of the RN”.
09:05 – A call for a strike on the day of Michel Barnier’s speech to the Assembly
Michel Barnier will deliver his general policy speech at the General Assembly on October 1st. He will outline the policy he intends to pursue with his government. And on the same day, the general secretary of the CGT Sophie Binet calls for “strikes and demonstrations on October 1st”. The mobilization should allow the “return match” concerning the pension reform to be initiated, which the unionist is calling for to be repealed. The union organizations are calling for the organization of a “financing conference” for pensions, Sophie Binet also emphasizes on Franceinfo : “We must repeal this reform, and put other financing proposals on the table.”
08:54 – “The government is under surveillance” by the RN warns Sébastien Chenu
The National Rally (RN) is holding its position as arbiter and its vice-president Sébastien Chenu has recalled RMC-BFMTV that “the government is under surveillance.” Promising that no vote from the far-right party is acquired by the government and that “nothing ever [ne] could [les] prevent changing position”, Sébastien Chenu clarified some of the RN’s red lines, including the repeal of the pension reform which, according to him, must be voted on or included in the budget, or the freezing of the income tax scale. The vice-president of the RN finally recalled that there will be no censure a priori, but that the far-right elected officials will be “demanding”.
08:40 – Immigration and the abolition of AME: a “red line” for the former Minister of Health
Another subject on which the Barnier government is expected: immigration. Bruno Retailleau, the new Minister of the Interior, is in charge of security and migration policy and he participated in writing the toughened and adopted version of the immigration law, which was to limit access to certain rights and certain aids such as state medical aid (AME). On this point, Michel Barnier indicated that there is no “taboo” on the abolition of AME: “There is simply the concern to deal with this issue firmly and with humanity. I would also like to tackle a subject that costs a lot of money, which is that of tax fraud of course, but also social fraud.”
This Monday morning, the former Minister of Health and once again Horizons MP, Frédéric Valletoux, declared on Public Senate that the removal of the AME “is a border, a red line” not to be crossed, only an “adjustment”.
08:26 – Pension reform: Barnier wants to “improve” it, Binet wants to “repeal” it
“I want to improve this reform with the social partners” declared Michel Barnier during his interview on France 2 yesterday evening, but he says he wants to “take his time” and preserve the “financial framework”. Reaction of the general secretary of CGT this Monday morning: “We are asking for the repeal of retirement at 64 and the increase in salaries that Michel Barnier has not spoken about at all while it is the number 1 concern of the French”, said Sophie Binet on Franceinfo“We can obtain its repeal, this is what Michel Barnier’s statement shows, the balance of power is on our side. We must push our advantage,” adds the unionist convinced that she can win the case.
08:15 – Censorship of a government that is “too far to the right” considered by a Macronist elected official
The left, which promised censure before the appointment of the Barnier government, is confirming its position, but it is not the only one considering censure of the executive. Macronist MP Stella Dupont indicated on RMC to retain the right to vote on a motion of censure against a government that it considers “too right-wing” and “not in keeping with the aspirations of the French people”. “It seems to me that [le gouvernement] is far from the expectations that have been expressed by the French in recent weeks. The French want appeasement and for consensus to be recreated […] “I believe that the personalities named are divisive and risk dividing the French. We need to bring people together,” she added.
08:10 – First informal meeting of the Barnier government
The 39 ministers of the new government are meeting this Monday morning at Matignon for a “government breakfast”. A meeting supposed to allow the members of the executive to meet before getting to work. Serious things should start this Monday with the first Council of Ministers planned around Emmanuel Macron at 3 p.m. The ministers will then have to tackle political issues, some of which are burning: the budget and taxes for the Minister of the Economy, pensions and unemployment insurance reform for the Minister of Labor, and immigration for the Minister of the Interior, the very conservative Bruno Retailleau.
Here is the complete list of members of Michel Barnier’s government, announced this Saturday, September 21, 2024. 39 members in total make up this government, including 19 full ministers.