In this second part of the good leaves of his book, Didier Lallement evokes the political figures he rubbed shoulders with for three years: Emmanuel Macron, Jean Castex, Gérald Darmanin, Anne Hidalgo. He also gives his view on Marine Le Pen.
Emmanuel Macron
I had also had several contacts with the President of the Republic – the last time in Bordeaux, in February 2019, on the sidelines of a major debate. We had a discussion about policing. About what could be done. Emmanuel Macron asked me a lot of questions about the practice I had in Bordeaux. When I arrive in Paris, my mission is therefore clear, for me and for everyone: to restore order. And that’s what I did ! (…)
In the acute phase of demonstrations of the yellow veststhe president called me regularly to find out how I felt about the development of the movement.
But the real contacts took place at the Elysée. Meetings with the president were frequent, though irregular. Usually face to face. Alexis Kohler, the secretary general of the Elysée, could be present. Emmanuel Macron did not necessarily set a specific theme for our interviews, but he always asked a lot of questions. He wanted to know and above all to understand with method and lucidity.
Gerald Darmanin
I was in constant contact with Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, as I had been with his predecessor Christophe Castaner – this will not surprise you. We called each other several times a week, and we saw each other very regularly. It’s not always easy to be Minister of the Interior. Something always falls on your head. I appreciated his very thoughtful character. Always very calm. He knows how to cash in when he has often been scrutinized by the media. The man has real political and technical stature. (…)
Unlike most of his predecessors, who were mainly involved in politics, Gérald Darmanin is also interested in the operating mechanisms of his ministry. He goes down to the bottom of the hold to see how it works. Rarely have I seen a minister act like this. Generally, they don’t have the time and it doesn’t interest them.
So we had real technical discussions. We didn’t always agree, but our relationship was healthy, even if I noticed that I was sometimes a bit inconvenient for him. When I had a question, he knew that I could contact the president. I didn’t abuse it. No one had any interest in getting angry.
John Castex
My relationship with Matignon was more distant. It had deteriorated during the summer of 2020, when The chained Duck revealed that Jean Castex wanted to dismiss me. I knew the Prime Minister well. We were together at the Court of Auditors. I had been in a think tank he chaired on state reform. I did not understand this negative intention towards me. He hadn’t told me, of course. Had I done something that displeased him? Didn’t he love me? After all, it was his right. (…)
I quickly spoke with Nicolas Revel, his chief of staff. I told him that I did not appreciate this way of doing things. Finally the Elysée meant to Matignon that there was no question of me leaving the police headquarters, which belongs, in a way, to the reserved domain of the president.
Anne Hidalgo
We can expect more composure from a political leader. Anne Hidalgo is, under a controlled appearance, very impulsive. She didn’t hesitate to say abrupt things to me. I did not hesitate to answer him. Inevitably, that clashes… (…) The first time, one spoke to me rather badly. The second time too. So I decided to answer as I was being spoken to. They bump into me, I answer. But I have no acrimony towards him. She is a brave woman. I respect her. (…)
Anne Hidalgo’s choice is clear: everything is done so that cars do not circulate. She was elected on this program, she applies it. What’s more normal ? But does this program make sense?
For my part, I think not. It is almost impossible to increase the timing of metros and RERs. On the surface, bus lanes are removed to create cycle paths. Car traffic is reduced to one or two lanes – narrow lanes, to boot. This logically causes an embolism, nervousness and road incivility in all its dimensions, including on the sidewalks. And, as we can no longer drive, the emergency services are also slowed down. It’s normal, everything is done to slow down traffic.
During the Notre-Dame fire, firefighters took far too long to arrive on the scene. Not everything can be solved by bike. We’re not going to put out fires with firefighters pedaling on cargo bikes!
Marine Le Pen
[Le préfet est interrogé sur le scénario d’une victoire de Marine Le Pen à l’élection présidentielle.]
There would not have been, in my opinion, a wave of massive resignations within the administration. Remember 1981: while some were already imagining a parade of Soviet tanks on the Champs-Elysées, Philippe de Villiers was one of the few to give up his post as sub-prefect. In 2022, the State would have continued to function. Republican continuity would have imposed itself.
Marine Le Pen would also have benefited from numerous rallies within the State. Not mine, anyway. If she had been elected, I would have immediately left the senior civil service.
The Necessary Order, by Didier Lallement, with Jean-Jérôme Bertolus. Robert Laffont, 270 pages, €19.