Barely appointed, and already in the sights of the National Rally. The new Minister of Economy, Antoine Armand, provoked the anger of the far-right movement, and the embarrassment of Matignon, by affirming, this Tuesday morning on France Inter, that the RN did not belong to the “republican arc”.
Asked about his willingness to work with all other political groups, from La France Insoumise to the National Rally, Antoine Armand said he was open to collaborating with all parties, “as long as they are in the republican arc”, to which the RN does not belong according to him. “That is to say that the National Rally against which we were elected, against which we made a republican front, does not belong (to the “republican arc”, editor’s note), we must be very clear about that”, he added.
Shortly after the remarks of the new tenant of Bercy, the head of the RN deputies Marine Le Pen raised her voice, urging Prime Minister Michel Barnier to ensure that the “philosophy” he expressed “is shared by all the ministers”.
A warning shared by the leader of the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR) deputies, Eric Ciotti, who castigated “the belligerent declarations” of Antoine Armand.
Michel Barnier’s clarification
While the RN is threatening a motion of censure against the Barnier government, Bercy was quick to backtrack. At midday, the Ministry of Economy and Finance announced that Antoine Armand would finally receive “all the political forces represented in Parliament” on the subject of the very degraded situation of public finances. “The economic and financial situation of France requires broad consultation with the elected representatives of the Nation,” the ministry said in a press release.
It must be said that, according to BFMTV And The FigaroMichel Barnier did not appreciate his minister’s morning statements, which led to a formal refocusing. The Prime Minister “clearly and firmly” reminded him of “the rules and commitments” of the new government, namely “respect for voters” and “respect for the group presidents represented in Parliament”, according to the continuous news channel. The Prime Minister, who knows that since his appointment he is “under surveillance” by the RN, even picked up the phone on Tuesday to “reassure” Marine Le Pen and “rectify the situation”, says The FigaroThis first hiccup between Bercy and Matignon reminds us to what extent Michel Barnier’s team is a government on borrowed time.