the discreet tour of France by Gérald Darmanin and his “Populaires!” movement.

Because he has ambitions, Gérald Darmanin is convinced that he will have a role to play until the 2027 presidential election. The former Minister of the Interior has embarked on a tour throughout France. Thanks to his new movement, “Populaires!”, he intends to play itchy hair. franceinfo was able to exclusively attend a public meeting organized in Poissy near Paris by Gérald Darmanin (almost) in the campaign.

“What I'm going to try to do is not make a speech, the idea is to topple the pyramid. In ancient Rome there were times once a year when those in charge were led by those they led”he declared to the audience. In the meantime, nothing to do with a big meeting, it's at the back of an activity zone that we find him, in a restaurant that looks like a canteen. “Populaires”, the name of his small store created at the end of September, is written in dark blue everywhere. In the room, a few chairs and a crackling microphone. To better convince the hundred business leaders in front of him, Gérald Darmanin even put on a tie that he usually takes off at his home in Tourcoing. A nod to this France of bosses.

“I have been the manager of a perfumery in Poissy for 23 years and every month, when I see the pay slips arriving, I hate when I see the gross and when I see what is left for my employees”testifies a woman. “We have a problem, it’s that work and France no longer make us dream”testifies for his part a man. The former Interior Minister raises an eyebrow and takes notes. These meetings are almost secret, cash and without filter. franceinfo is the only media present in the room.

However, Gérald Darmanin does not want to shoot the ambulance. “Me, the idea is not to embarrass the government, I am not here for the present,” he explains, “When you are in politics it is not always easy, especially when you are minister – maybe it will shock you – to act and think at the same time.”Think in particular about the most divisive ideas possible : capitalization pensions, elimination of the activity bonus, end of contribution systems or social VAT, behind the Darmanin brand, there is the quest for a political space.

Gérald Darmanin rides for himself first, and it works. The debate of ideas turns into a seduction and selfie operation. The former minister takes the compliments. “We feel that this is the beginning of something”judges for example a man present in the crowd, “It's easy to say that politicians are all rotten. He comes to the field, it's quite courageous.” PFor seven years, Gérald Darmanin appeared everywhere, all the time, and today the former minister is playing the card of discretion to spare his effects.

“I think we need a revolutionary, radical project, that doesn't mean extremist, it means radical, which radically changes things, disrupts the system. It will be for whoever wants to take it.”

Gerald Darmanin

at franceinfo

His confidences are rare, but at the franceinfo microphone, the one who has once again become a simple deputy from the North assumes to take a little space. “I have taken a step back among the people. I am not sure that it is by chairing a party, a parliamentary group, by being interested in the parliamentary debate as it exists, that we manage to move forward the schmilblick.” Gabriel Attal, called to take the lead of the Renaissance party, will appreciate it.

“There is now a glaring difference between people and the political class. In fact you have two ways of doing things. Either you consider that it is necessary to fight popular anger, and there you have a moral vision, it is always the somewhat moral left who does it, sometimes we too at Renaissance have a very Parisian tendency to judge that from afar. And then there is the observation that popular anger cannot be absorbed. , she accompanies herself, telling them that extremism is not the solution, but yes, radical things are needed and we understood that they wanted radical things to transform the system.”

Transforming the system is what Gérald Darmanin will again propose in a book to be published next spring and which he says he writes a little every morning. This is also what he will propose on December 10 during the convention of his “Popular” movement, in a large Parisian theater, with the idea, this time, of making it a demonstration of force.