The team is complete. The composition of François Bayrou's government was announced on Monday, December 23. Bruno Retailleau at the Interior, Gérald Darmanin at Justice, Elisabeth Borne at National Education… The leader of the MoDem surrounds himself with a team of 14 ministers and 21 delegate ministers, including many former ministers, under the mandates of Emmanuel Macron or his predecessors.
Emergency text on Mayotte, general policy speech and risk of censorship, budget… Many projects await the new tenant of Matignon, after the composition of his government team, which will meet for a first Council of Ministers on Friday 3 January at 10 a.m.
An emergency text on Mayotte “as soon as” possible
Faced with the devastation caused by Cyclone Chido in Mayotte, Emmanuel Macron promised a “special law” to help rebuild the department. This will be one of the priorities of François Bayrou's government. “We need a government because we have a text on the emergency in Mayotte which can be presented tomorrow to the Council of Ministers,” supported François-Noël Buffet, resigning Overseas Minister, on Monday morning on the set of the show “Les 4 V” on France 2.
This “special law”, which allows “deviate from a certain number of usual rules, in particular in matters of town planning, construction, public procurement”, has already been examined by the Council of State, he said. Authority “gave his opinion last night, an opinion which does not pose any difficulty with the exception of a few technical points”, he assured. “The goal is for the text to go before Parliament very quickly”insisted the resigning minister. “The sooner the better, at the very beginning of January,” he added. At this stage, parliamentary work is suspended until January 14, but an early resumption is possible.
A general policy speech on January 14
François Bayrou has planned to deliver his general policy declaration on Tuesday January 14 before Parliament, France Télévisions learned from participants in the consultations led by the Prime Minister and the office of the National Assembly. The new head of government will detail his roadmap, as well as his main objectives. He may request a vote of confidence, but is not obliged to do so. His predecessors Elisabeth Borne, Gabriel Attal and Michel Barnier, without an absolute majority, had not done so.
Before the deputies, on December 17, the leader of the MoDem returned to the“Himalaya” of challenges that he mentioned during his first speech as Prime Minister. “I will not hide anything, I will leave nothing untreated and unanswered”he declared. “All the problems that you have indicated which are linked to public spending, which are linked to the fractures in French society, I will try to resolve them (…) taking into account each of the groups”committed François Bayrou, promising not to let “the unanswered budgetary situation”.
A possible vote on a motion of censure on January 16
The founder of La France insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has already announced a motion of censure in the wake of François Bayrou's general policy declaration. On January 14, “we demand a vote on confidence to see if he has a majority. Otherwise, we will logically table a motion of censure”, he declared in an interview with Parisian. The vote on this motion “will probably be January 16, 48 hours after his general policy speech”, he said.
For the rebel, a vote approving censorship is possible: “On the left, those who wanted to reassure their electorate by seeking an arrangement were rejected. They will come home.” The first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, declared not to have “found reasons not to censor”, After a meeting of political parties in Matignon. He said to himself “dismayed at the poverty of what [a été] propose”.
On the far right, the president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, said he “ready not to censor a priori a personality or a profile that comes from the right and the center.” “I consider that censorship is a constitutional leverhowever continued the president of the RN group in the National Assembly, Marine Le Pen. I'm not threatening censorship morning, noon and night, I'm just saying that I'm not giving up this tool.”
The adoption of a budget hoped for “in mid-February”
The new ministers will have to urgently tackle the 2025 budget. The deputies censured the previous government after the triggering of article 49.3 to have the Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) adopted without a vote. In the meantime, a “special law” was urgently adopted and promulgated to authorize the executive to levy taxes and borrow to finance the State and Social Security.
For the PLFSS as for the finance bill, two paths are possible: start from the previous copy or propose a new text. On France 2 Thursday, François Bayrou, guest of “L'Evénement”, said he hoped for the adoption of a budget “in mid-February.” “I’m not sure I’ll make it,” he however qualified. The centrist Prime Minister made it clear that he intended to start again “the copy that was voted on”.
“I will not use 49.3, unless there is an absolute blockage on the budget, added the new tenant of Matignon. I want as much dialogue as possible. And on the other texts, I will not use 49.3, unless there is a disaster.” A message to the parties “in opposition” but who “agree to dialogue” and not to overthrow his government.
