What would politics be without its stunts, its low blows, its twisted blows, its dirty tricks…? Because, as Edouard Philippe would say, “we have to do things seriously without taking ourselves seriously”, the political service of L’Express offers to immerse you in the corridors of power thanks to a weekly meeting, every Thursday, on our website.
Energy savings: the government is looking at streaming
This is a possibility mentioned in the corridors of Bercy, on the floor of the State Secretariat for Digital. To reduce energy consumption in the coming weeks and unclog the mobile network if the situation were to worsen (especially in the event of load shedding), the government plans to ask the major streaming platforms – Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, etc. – to lower the resolution of their video content by default. A recipe already proven in the past: these digital entertainment giants had accepted the executive’s proposal during the first confinement in 2020.
It swings quite a bit in Paris
Paris is well worth a mass, to the point that we jostle in the nave that leads to the Hôtel de Ville. Clément Beaune, Olivia Grégoire, Gabriel Attal, Marlène Schiappa… Several ministers already imagine themselves as candidates for mayor, some assume it when others have a more polished ambition and say “think about it”. We even whisper the name of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, when she has never expressed any Parisian desire. If there is so much desire, so soon, it is because Macronie does not want to relive the sinking of the municipal government of 2020, between the Griveaux affair and the tears of Agnès Buzyn. “2026 is a long time away. Let’s be careful with our cookie-cutter statements”, moderates a minister to whom the same intentions are attributed. And to calm the ardor of his little comrades: “It’s criminal to be pushed out of the collar when there is 55% abstention and when we are not even installed in our minister’s chair … We must remain in our huts.”
Secret team building at the Élysée
The official agenda of the President of the Republic ends on Thursday, December 15, and for good reason: passing through Paris between several official trips, two football World Cup matches in Qatar and a European Council in Brussels, Emmanuel Macron in will take advantage of this Friday, December 16 to tighten up its troops. It’s a well-kept secret: the head of state is organizing a working seminar with part of his cabinet at the palace, in duo with the secretary general of the Élysée, Alexis Kohler.
Immigration law and the Olympic Games, the unexpected gateway
It is an understatement to say that the organization of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, more particularly in terms of security, is of concern to the government and its majority. “Anyone who is not worried about that is seriously ill, Darmanin says it occupies at least half of his time”, slips on this subject a framework of the Renaissance group in the Assembly. At the heart of the hassle, in particular: the opening ceremony on the banks of the Seine, where half a million people could be expected.
As the former boss of Beauvau Christophe Castaner said several months ago, one of the keys to effective management will be the sufficient recruitment of private security services… which is far from guaranteed. Especially since a new provision has been integrated into the “Global Security” law of 2021: foreign nationals can only integrate these services after five years of residence in France. The tile. So Renaissance deputies had an idea: to modify this measure via an amendment in the future Immigration law carried by Gérald Darmanin and Olivier Dussopt to ensure wider recruitment in 2024 and better security of the capital during the Olympics. To govern is to foresee, but also to know how to adapt.
Immigration: the “retirement” syndrome?
An immigration bill at the end of January? “But for the moment, there is no immigration bill!” Retorts a regular in government discussions. Behind the general objectives displayed (reinforcement of linguistic requirements, residence permit for occupations in shortage, etc.) and the promises made (more minors in detention centres), a number of precise arbitrations have not been made. Willingness to consult, will answer the executive. But time is running out. Certain provisions must, in fact, be submitted to the boards of directors of the Ofii or Ofpra, before being presented to the Council of State.
LR and Sarkozy: the ministers have fun
The government likes to test the solidarity of LR parliamentarians vis-à-vis Nicolas Sarkozy. On December 7, during the question session in the Senate, the Minister Delegate for Industry Roland Lescure replied to Laurence Garnier, elected LR of Loire-Atlantique, stressing that “the period when the power plants were the least maintained was the five-year term of Nicolas Sarkozy”. Elisabeth Borne observes the scene closely: “The right does not seek to defend it at all!” The Prime Minister believes that the former head of state has less and less influence on LR parliamentarians.