The government is awaiting a likely major reshuffle. Here are the names mentioned to replace the Prime Minister.
Will Elisabeth Borne complete her twentieth month in office at Matignon? Emmanuel Macron will perhaps not give him time. “The president made the decision to press the button,” says a member of the government to BFMTV. The fate of the head of government could be decided in the coming days. Who to take his place? If no name seems obvious, several hypotheses are on the table.
That of Sébastien Lecornu finds an echo within the executive. The current Minister of the Armed Forces, who joined the government in 2017, is a figure from the right. His past in the LR ranks would be a valuable asset for inevitable negotiations in the absence of a presidential majority in the Assembly. “Emmanuel Macron wants a super dircab, he will not overshadow the president and he speaks to elected officials. It’s the ideal portrait,” says a member of the government to BFMTV.
The Mayor, Ferrand, Denormandie
Another hypothesis that comes up with each reshuffle: Bruno Le Maire. The Minister of the Economy, if he is not close to the president, is also an early supporter and a veteran of the government. He also has the advantage of being known to the general public and of being, like Sébastien Lecornu, from the right. The Mayor is also expected on Friday January 5 at the Elysée to meet with Emmanuel Macron.
If the president looked among his friends, he could choose Richard Ferrand. The man who had to leave his ministry in June 2017 due to accusations of “illegal taking of interests” has since seen the case closed for limitation. Has the time come to remind the government of this? This choice would follow a strategy of rebalancing forces towards the left, Richard Ferrand having come from the socialist ranks. However, his defeat in the last legislative elections is not a good indicator of his popularity.
The name of Julien Denormandie is also making a comeback in conjectures. The former Minister of Agriculture left politics in May 2022. According to The world, Denormandie left after failing to win the post of Prime Minister, despite the fact that Emmanuel Macron had offered him the choice of any other portfolio. Will the Head of State offer him this time a position that matches his ambitions?
Attal favorite of the French
Christophe Béchu’s hypothesis also circulated for a few days, before being called into question. According to Politicothe rumor around an appointment of the current Minister of Ecological Transition was apparently launched by a communicator, who subsequently admitted that he did not know “absolutely not what the president thinks”.
Finally, Gabriel Attal is the favorite of the French to take over at Matignon, according to an Odoxa-Backbone Consulting survey for Le Figaro. 36% of those questioned consider that the young Minister of Education is “prime minister”. But will Emmanuel Macron appoint a minister capable of casting such a shadow over him? Attal’s very good popularity rating could actually work against him.