Very early, François Bayrou advances into the hemicycle. He hasn’t come to the National Assembly for years. He was a deputy, minister, and very short-lived Minister of Justice in 2017. He knows he is expected. This Tuesday, the new Prime Minister agreed to take part in the exercise of “questions to the government”, renamed “questions to the Prime Minister” because the government has resigned and cannot therefore be on the bench.
He sits opposite President Yaël Braun-Pivet. Behind him, his chief of staff and an advisor. On his desk, some notes and his phone. He smiles, but is probably a little tense. His leg twitches.
“Pau is France”
The 11 groups will each ask a question. From the first, asked by the National Rally of Var MP Laure Lavalette about his priorities, he gets up slowly, buttons up his jacket and takes the microphone with both hands. He knows the choreography. First, he expresses his emotion. “It has been a long time since I spoke in this Assembly which I really liked. » Then he unfolds his method. “I will not hide anything, I will leave nothing untreated and unanswered,” he assures and adds that he will take “each of the groups” into account.
Almost everyone criticized him for going to Pau on Monday evening to chair the municipal council of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques town of which he intends to remain mayor, even though a disaster is mourning the department of Mayotte. For the left, this is a mistake. The first to criticize him is Mathilde Panot, the president of the rebellious group. She’s not the least vindictive. Looking at her, he assumes. Yes, he attended the crisis meeting with the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron by video. “Pau is in France. There is a break that perhaps you do not feel between life in the provinces and the circles of power in Paris.” The attack annoys the rebel, who lets him know. “You can shout. I was also in my place as a citizen. Citizenship is not divided between being in Paris and being in the provinces. »
“A path of understanding”
The new Prime Minister does not convince many people. He is weakened. Like all politicians at the heart of a controversy, he keeps his back and knows that it will pass. He prefers to insist on his method for finding “the path of understanding and all sensitivities”.
At the PS, we are ticking. Boris Vallaud, the boss of the socialist deputies, clearly asks him the question of governing according to the RN or not. The answer is not clear, the new head of government trying not to offend anyone and to deal with all opposition. Same thing on a question on a possible immigration law: François Bayrou evacuates, reminds that this is not his general policy declaration (scheduled for January 14) but that his government will arrive quickly. “In the next few days. » He adds: “I will defend a point of view in good faith and it can be analyzed as such. » We had a clearer answer.
On the benches, we remain hungry. Cautious, François Bayrou revealed nothing. He multiplied the difficult words (“compatriotism”, “citizenship”, “immemorially”), but without seducing his audience, who quickly got tired of it. Marine Le Pen leaves the chamber after 25 minutes. On the left, we mock: “Give us back Barnier!” », we say in the discussion loops.
The suitors wait
In the central bloc, some, expected to join the government, are very attentive. This is the case of Violette Spillebout, Renaissance MP for the North, Roland Lescure, elected representative of French people abroad, Harold Huwart, spokesperson for the centrist Liot group, or Jean-René Cazeneuve, MP for Gers.
Former ministers are also often cited: François Rebsamen, former mayor of Dijon or the former Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. François Bayrou discusses this government “architecture” with Emmanuel Macron this Tuesday. Gérald Darmanin was also expected and came to greet him at the end of this question session without many answers. “We have to take it step by step,” said the head of the future government, but without specifying the arrival date.
