Emmanuel Macron and Gabriel Attal spoke at length on Wednesday evening to move forward on the reshuffle, a first phase of which could be announced this Thursday.
The essential
- The reshuffle is underway. Gabriel Attal was appointed Prime Minister on Tuesday January 9, the day after the resignation of Élisabeth Borne.
- The Prime Minister must now compose his new government and present it by the end of the week. Gabriel Attal spoke with Emmanuel Macron during a dinner on Wednesday evening.
- A government announcement in two stages is mentioned. So, this Thursday, the ministers could be announced, while the secretaries of state would be announced later.
- The new government should have a “tight” team and could lead to changes among ministers. If Gérald Darmanin is certain to remain Minister of the Interior, the future of Bruno Le Maire is uncertain. The Minister of the Economy would be in the hot seat according to some or could inherit an expanded ministry according to others. The two heavyweights of the macronie would have opposed the appointment of Gabriel Attal.
- Among the ministers who would be in an ejection seat include the “rebels” of the left wing notably Clément Beaune (Transport) and Rima Adbul-Malak (Culture), Agnès Firmin Le Bodo appointed interim to Health, Catherine Colonna to Foreign Affairs or even government spokesperson Olivier Véran. Other cases like that of Olivier Dussopt (Labor) raise questions.
Live
08:47 – Gérald Darmanin cropped by the Elysée
Those close to the Ministry of the Interior did not hesitate to advance the latter’s reappointment to his post, declaring to the press that he was “guaranteed to remain in Beauvau as he wished”. “I like to finish the work I have started,” said Darmanin during a trip to Levallois-Perret on Tuesday. Emmanuel Macron’s advisors, however, were keen to point out that it was not up to the Minister of the Interior to reappoint himself: “A government does not fall apart, it announces itself as a whole. The ministers will receive a formal call from Gabriel Attal before their appointment”, pointed out an advisor from the Elysée to Figaro.
08:39 – What future for Bruno Le Maire in this reshuffle?
The Minister of Economy and Finance is a pioneer of the Macron executive. Will it be maintained at Bercy? The hypotheses differ. In recent days, several sources have been suggesting that the future of Bruno Le Maire within the government was not assured. Especially since the minister would not have been in favor of the appointment of Gabriel Attal to Matignon. This morning, The Parisian and Politico ultimately lean towards keeping Le Maire at Bercy, or even towards an expansion of his portfolio, which could absorb the skills of the Ministry of Energy Transition, occupied by Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
08:31 – Welcome to this live broadcast from Thursday January 11
After the appointment of a new Prime Minister on Tuesday, the reshuffle continues. The names of the main ministers of the Attal government should be announced at the “end of the day”, according to Politico. Find the main information all day long in this live stream.
10/01/24 – 23:01 – Discussions between Gabriel Attal and Emmanuel Macron still ongoing
END OF LIVE – While the first appointments are expected, or at least hoped for, this Thursday, the Prime Minister and the Head of State dined together again at the Élysée this Wednesday evening. According to information from TF1, the discussions were still in progress at 11 p.m. Also invited to this meal were the secretary general of the Élysée, Alexis Kohler, as well as Emmanuel Moulin, Gabriel Attal’s new chief of staff.
10/01/24 – 22:03 – A new dinner between Gabriel Attal and Emmanuel Macron organized Wednesday evening
The two men already spoke on Tuesday evening, upon Gabriel Attal’s return from Pas-de-Calais. According to information from BFMTV, a new dinner was organized this Wednesday evening between Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, from 9:30 p.m. Objective: refine the new government before an announcement tomorrow? The suspense is at its peak!
10/01/24 – 9:17 p.m. – Marie-Hélène Thoraval soon in government?
Propelled to the forefront after the Crépol tragedy, the mayor of Romans-sur-Isère, Marie-Hélène Thoraval, has shown herself to be courageous in the face of death threats and particularly firm on delinquency in recent months. Facts which allow keen observers of French political life to raise the hypothesis of an appointment in the government of Gabriel Attal. Minister of Education, whose work she did not fail to salute last December in the columns of Valeurs Actuelles, stating: “He is taking the bull by the horns. I dare say it and trust him to put the house in order.” Questioned head-on by Le Figaro on the subject, the elected official is now cautious: “Humility leads me not to answer this question.” The suspense is at its peak !
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Gabriel Attal moves to Matignon
After a week of rumors about the departure of the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne submitted her resignation to Emmanuel Macron at the end of the day on Monday January 8. A departure which does not seem to be wanted by the sixty-year-old but rather driven by the President of the Republic as his resignation letter suggests: “Mr. President of the Republic, you have informed me of your desire to appoint a new Prime Minister”.
Elisabeth Borne having left office, it was the former Minister of National Education who was appointed head of government, Gabriel Attal. At just 34 years old, he became the youngest Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic. He got the best of Sébastien Lecornu, Richard Ferrand, and Julien Denormandie, all three mentioned to succeed Élisabeth Borne in the role.
Who are the ministers in the hot seat?
On the side of the ministers in danger are those nicknamed the “rebels” for their opposition to the immigration law: Clément Beaune (Transport), Rima Abdul-Malak (Culture), Patrice Vergriete (Housing), Sylvie Retailleau (Higher Education) and Roland Lescure (Industry). We must also cite the Minister of Health Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, appointed interim after the resignation of Aurélien Rousseau, who is the subject of an investigation for having received gifts from a pharmaceutical laboratory without declaring them as part of her profession as a pharmacist. Catherine Colonna based at the Quai d’Orsay would also be in the hot seat according to The Parisian.
The case of the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, raises questions. The man is due to stand trial in his favoritism trial on January 17. The head of state could want to part ways without waiting for the verdict or, on the contrary, keep the minister, who benefits from the presumption of innocence, within the government, at the risk of having to replace him at the end of January.
Which ministers could change portfolio?
Some ministers could remain within the executive, but land in different functions. At the Ministry of the Interior, someone other than Gérald Darmanin could take over according to some rumors. The “first cop in France”, weakened after the vote on the immigration law, would like to leave Beauvau for the Quai d’Orsay. But a replacement at the Interior seems difficult a few months before the Paris Olympic Games. If he remains in the government Olivier Dussopt could also move, he who would be interested in the Ministry of the Armed Forces according to The Parisian.