Stop shaving to look older? Prefer dark outfits? Revamping the new Prime Minister, 34, is relatively easy to give him an appearance of maturity which contrasts with his still youthful and smiling physique. “Woe to you, country whose king is a child,” scolds Ecclesiastes (X, 16). “I am young, it is true; but to well-born souls, value does not wait for the number of years,” Rodrigue retorts, in The Cid, by Corneille, published in 1637. At the time, under the reign of Louis XIII, born in 1601 and enthroned in 1610, on the death of his father, depriving these youthful characteristics no longer meant anything. The age of Captain Attal, the youngest Prime Minister in the history of the Fifth Republic, should no longer be in the headlines, in a world that wants to be inclusive and which must therefore accept him as the manager of the government. “Action, action, action,” he urged. His objective: to establish himself as leader in a trapped context: some of his colleagues dreamed of this internal promotion which he took under the noses (and beards) of older ones.
There’s no point in showing off if it’s not in your DNA, exaggerating your speeches to step up your game or choosing a personality to sacrifice to show your authority. First advice: stay yourself. It was because he was him that he was chosen. Highlight his qualities, his characteristics, because the former Minister of National Education has taken on a new outfit which is now truly his and which does not belong to anyone else. On the one hand, to avoid becoming schizophrenic by constantly wondering which personality to come out with and, on the other hand, to not “lie to the French”, since this is the primary commitment made by the Prime. And it’s up to the team to follow him to carry out their collective battles. Gold, when you obtain a position coveted by many others and by the sole will of the prince, you are expected not at every turn but at every step.
Getting into the “tough guys” pocket
He has a hundred days ahead of him, a period of three months, a sort of state of grace which alludes to the escape of Emperor Napoleon from the island of Elba, on March 20, 1815, to regain power. The second piece of advice is to seduce the ambitious (Gérald Darmanin and Bruno Le Maire, who have their eyes fixed on 2027), establish themselves among their ex-colleagues (the members of Elisabeth Borne’s government who were reappointed) or reassure firmly his former bosses (Gabriel Attal was under the orders of Bruno Le Maire at Bercy). Without forgetting to put in his pocket “the tough guys”, political stars, like Rachida Dati, who joined the Attal 1 government, without having worked with him until then. Being available to everyone and at all times, giving pledges so that those who want to be autonomous can continue in this way, while demanding unfailing loyalty from them. It’s give and take: we work together, we go in the same direction. For those hesitant who have known another boss, give them as precise a road map as possible, even if it means breaking with the past. “Work, work, work.”
This is not enough: even if this work is done, there is always a risk of slippage. Poorly prepared team members, a complicated national situation, an unexpected episode, and the flagship is rocking. Listening to specialists while avoiding succumbing to cognitive biases, surrounding yourself with a team capable of finding the best experts on a specific topic and agreeing to hear what is disturbing is the third piece of advice. Without overdoing it, a certain modesty is part of the costume, but it is sometimes necessary to show haughtiness if some, on the lower floor, act arrogant and challenge the boss to make him stumble. Even if the final decision rests with the tenant of Matignon and must be taken quickly, he must never rush into the analysis, not “precrastinate”, especially if he is hyperactive. Resist the stress of being a good student who must prove himself. Have confidence in a cabinet director capable of saying, as to Caesar: “Hominem te esse memento” (“Remember that you are only a man”). In the event of a problem, maintain this modesty with regard to the upper floor by proposing solutions and accepting the one that the Elysée has chosen… unless this is contrary to its values. And one day, perhaps, dream like Gérard Lenorman: “If I were President of the Republic/Never again would a child have sad thoughts”…
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