Relaxed this week in his trial for favoritism in a public market in 2009 when he was mayor of Annonay, Olivier Dussopt sees his horizons brightening. From there to return to government?
After Éric Dupond-Moretti, Olivier Dussopt, tried for favoritism while he still held the position of Minister of Labor, Full Employment and Integration, was finally acquitted on Wednesday January 17. “After 3.5 years of proceedings, I am happy that my innocence has been recognized and that justice has been done to me,” declared the main person concerned on X (ex-Twitter). However, the man who was judged for favoritism in a public market in 2009 while he was mayor of Annonay, in Ardèche, had to give up his place to the government during the last reshuffle. Emmanuel Macron had given him his “total support” in February 2023 and had even decided to keep him in the government despite his legal case, the fact remains that he was dismissed a year later, even before the verdict in this case. affair.
But while the reshuffle is being done this time in two, and a new round of “elected officials” should soon be assigned positions of secretary of state or delegate minister, has Olivier Dussopt still a chance to be part of Gabriel Attal’s government? For now, the suspense remains. But after having been a minister, being appointed deputy minister or even secretary of state could amount to a step backwards in one’s rise within Macronie.
However, Olivier Dussopt is the discreet type and continuing to work for the government while being less in the spotlight could potentially not be that unpleasant for him. Especially since the ex-socialist has, it seems, managed to carve out a place for himself over the years within the Macronie, moving from sSecretary of State to the Minister of Action and Public Accounts (between November 2017 and July 2020), Minister Delegate in charge of Public Accounts (July 2020 – May 2022), then Minister of Labor (from May 2022 to January 2024). The only certainty at this stage, with his release, is that he is now freed from a sword of Damocles which weighed on his immediate political future. Note also that with Catherine Vautrin who inherited a ministry which brings together two major subjects important to the French, Work and Health, it is a safe bet that delegated ministers will quickly be appointed as reinforcements. Enough to see a clear path for the great return of Olivier Dussopt? Response within a few days…