With the disappearance of the Ministry of Energy Transition, ecology appears to be the forgotten one in the reshuffle. Back to the promises of 2022.
Where has the objective of ecological planning gone in this reshuffle? While the arrival of Elisabeth Borne at Matignon was accompanied by strong commitments from the executive for ecology, her departure seems to mark the end of the efforts. In May 2022, two ministries placed under the direct authority of the Prime Minister were created to manage ecological and energy transition issues. But the reshuffle of January 11 already marks the end of the Ministry of Energy Transition.
Agnès Pannier Runacher is not one of the ministers reappointed and no replacement has been named. The Energy portfolio is annexed to the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Bruno Le Maire. At the same time, the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu sees himself demoted to the penultimate protocol rank in this first phase of reshuffle. Two strong signals.
What about the general secretariat for ecological planning?
Since 2022, the ecological and energy transition has been placed within the scope of action of the Prime Minister: a guarantee of his commitment, Emmanuel Macron had wanted the creation of a general secretariat for ecological planning reporting directly to Matignon, responsible for coordinating the two ministries. Officially, this general secretariat still exists. However, since his appointment, Gabriel Attal has not yet had a word for ecology.
The sudden disappearance of the Ministry of Energy Transition, whose main goal was to define the strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, raises many questions. Especially since Agnès Pannier Runacher presented last November a “French strategy for energy and climate”, the basis of several laws planned for the year 2024. Who will take over these files? The annexation of energy issues to Bercy’s portfolio also raises fears that they will now be treated mainly through an economic prism, and no longer directly linked to climate change issues.
“I am dismayed to see that there is no longer a full-fledged Ministry of Energy even though the stakes are considerable,” reacted Jules Nyssen, president of the Renewable Energies Union, in The world. “Separating the ecological transition from the energy transition can only create tensions between different visions,” added Anne Bringault, director of the Climate Action Network.