Prime Minister François Bayrou brought his entire government together for the first time this Friday, January 3.
“There is a way” to get out of political instability, François Bayrou assured Friday ahead of his first Council of Ministers, during which Emmanuel Macron called for “unity” and to “audacity”in particular to quickly adopt a budget after the censorship of the previous government.
Like every new year, the members of the government first met at Place Beauvau, at the Ministry of the Interior, for the traditional back-to-school breakfast, where the host of the place, the Vendéen Bruno Retailleau, offered everyone a bottle of “trouspinette”a wine of thorns.
Another ritual, the government in close ranks then joined on foot the village hall of the Elysée, a few dozen meters away. Ministers then remained around the president for a Defense Council dedicated to Mayotte, three weeks after the passage of Cyclone Chido.
“There is a way” to get out of “this period of instability”, “it is even better defined than we think”assured François Bayrou to his ministers, according to his entourage. “If we are united, we will be able to remove a number of obstacles before us“, again launched the Prime Minister, who had placed 2025 under the auspices of a triptych “reconciliation, action, stability”.
President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, called on ministers to “unity” and to “audacity”reported government spokesperson Sophie Primas.
“Political coups”
“You are at the head of administrations, direct them. The lives of the French do not change because a law is passed or a word spoken”he said again according to a participant.
“Being in government elevates you above disagreements”added the Head of State, who expressed his “concern about the instabilities experienced by democracies”according to a government source, and warned against “political moves that would endanger the country”.
Mr. Bayrou hopes to last longer in Matignon than his predecessor, who remained in office for three months, but he is similarly deprived of a majority in the National Assembly, due to not having been able to expand his government beyond the center and the right.
A gap that he hopes to compensate for by the presence of political heavyweights, such as former Prime Ministers Elisabeth Borne (Education) and Manuel Valls (Overseas), and a few ministers who, according to a government source, “a story” with the left, such as Eric Lombard (Economy) or François Rebsamen (Territorial planning).
To which are added “two big beasts”Bruno Retailleau (Interior) and Gérald Darmanin (Justice), who compete in travel and public expressions but could overshadow him.
“Sit” on the deficit
Several of their colleagues were in the media on Friday with a message hammered out in unison: “We need a budget”.
Because without a finance law since January 1, “France operates in minimum service”explained on RTL Catherine Vautrin, in charge in particular of Labor and Health.
But the government will undoubtedly “sit down” on reducing the deficit, an elected official consulted by Bercy told AFP. According to the newspaper The WorldMr. Bayrou would have set a deficit objective of 5.4% of GDP instead of 5% as envisaged by Michel Barnier.
The numerical objective “will be the fruit of the discussions” of the government with the political forces, swept aside spokesperson Sophie Primas, without giving a timetable for the adoption of the budget, the “main directions” should appear in the general policy declaration of January 14.
Grain of salt
Emergency also for Mayotte, where the Prime Minister went with five ministers to announce a battery of measures intended to restore “standing” this department, the poorest in France. This text presented on Wednesday and “adopted before the end of the month”assured Ms. Primas.
The reporting exercise of the Council of Ministers was repatriated to the Elysée, at the request of François Bayrou, while his predecessor had chosen to relocate it to a building in the Prime Minister's services.
To prepare for this first meeting, François Bayrou had a long lunch on Thursday with the president. Way of easing tensions, while the head of state hesitated in December to appoint the boss of the MoDem, the latter then threatening to break their historic alliance.
Since then, the president has not held back from putting his two cents into the work of the government, during his wishes to the French. France must “continues to be attractive”, “work and innovate more”, “continues to create jobs” et “ensures its growth by maintaining its finances”he urged.
The mark of a new relationship “co-responsibility”according to the new tenant of Matignon, who started his lease with a historically low popularity rating.
