Emmanuel Macron pipeaut. This is, for a long time, what his advisors and friends have been murmuring, sometimes hilariously, sometimes haggardly, all having experienced the presidential affection for little lies without consequences. An SMS that he swears not to have sent, a remark that he assures not to have said, someone he certifies not to have met… One day, one of his intimates, to tickle him, dared to say it in front of him the awful word mythomania. Protests, kicks… The Head of State acted astounded: “I never lie!”, how dare anyone suspect him like that?
If only today it were only a matter of a discreet accommodation with the truth. Since Monday December 2 and the announcement of 49.3, until Thursday December 5 and the astonishing televised speech, Emmanuel Macron’s interlocutors have, with touching credulity, thought that, for good, the latter had drawn the lessons from his summer mistakes. Gone is the constantly prolonged wait, the political consultations episode 1, then 2: “I will go very very quickly, it is unthinkable to do otherwise,” he intones at the start of the week. For two reasons, he argues, the state of the financial markets and “the absolute need for political effectiveness”. Wednesday evening, a few hours after the censorship, here he exclaims to one of his visitors: “I will appoint a Prime Minister on Friday.” Know yourself, the latter could have replied, but men change after all… Why not the president?
François Bayrou is asked to believe it
Thursday December 5 at 11:30 a.m., Michel Barnier leaves the Elysée with the date of his transfer of power in mind. The president has just confided to him: “I will appoint a new Prime Minister on Monday.” At 1 p.m., rare permanence of Macronian thought: “I will appoint a new Prime Minister on Monday.” François Bayrou, seated at the table of the Head of State, is asked to believe it and no doubt he does so with the moderate enthusiasm of one who, after the dissolution, aptly observed: “The temptation of the president is always to wait.”
Emmanuel Macron does not deceive others, he deceives himself. As he postpones the date of appointment of the future tenant of Matignon, he also tramples on the promise made to several of his supporters not to get lost in negotiations which hinder him more than they free him. “I will not concert,” he maintained on Monday. His mistake was believing himself. And not to anticipate that from Thursday at 9 p.m., he would ask the presidents of parliamentary groups to go to the Elysée on Friday morning. “He’s upset himself, he can’t help it,” sighs a relative, tired of seeing in the person concerned the lack of value in the word given and certain of seeing his hesitations about the appointment drag on forever. And to continue, startled: “At this rate, he is going to announce a subcommittee for next week.” To justify this change of direction, the Head of State, intoxicated, certifies: “I moved the lines to the right this summer, I am going to move them to the left!”
And thus prepare the ground for François Bayrou, his companion on Thursday December 5, leaving their lunch filled with the “hope” of settling in Matignon? Or for Catherine Vautrin, more than anticipated last year, or even Eric Lombard, general director of the Caisse des Dépôts, whose names he mentioned in front of Gérard Larcher at snack time? Blurring the tracks to extend time, this time during which eyes converge on him. Incorrigible president who prefers to contradict himself rather than stand aside.
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