The name of the 27th tenant of Matignon has just been revealed. With the appointment of Michel Barnier, Macron alone already has five to his credit. And it may not be over.
And five! Emmanuel Macron is a big consumer of Prime Ministers. With the appointment of Michel Barnier to Matignon, this Thursday, September 5, he surpasses Jacques Chirac, who had only used four tenants of Matignon between 1995 and 2002. And remains ahead only of François Mitterrand, under whom seven Prime Ministers succeeded one another between 1981 and 1995. By choosing figures sometimes from the right, sometimes from the left, but also by appointing the second woman to this post or the youngest Prime Minister in History, Macron has often surprised. One thing these figures have in common, however: their relationship with the head of state has often turned sour.
Edward Philippe, Almost unknown to the general public before his appointment, is the first Prime Minister of the Macron era, appointed on May 15, 2017. Coming from Le Havre, from the Republicans and close to Alain Juppé, Edouard Philippe took time to assert himself against the “Jupiterian” power of Emmanuel Macron. First crisis: the abandonment in 2018 of the airport project at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, leading to strong reactions. At the same time, he introduced a difficult reform of the SNCF, triggering numerous strikes, and also had to deal with important ministerial resignations, such as those of Nicolas Hulot or Gérard Collomb.
The real baptism of fire came at the end of 2018 with the yellow vest crisis, triggered by the increase in the carbon tax and the reduction of the speed limit on the roads to 80 km/h, a decision personally carried out by the Prime Minister. In 2019, he was confronted with the highly contested pension reform, which caused a long strike. Despite concessions and the use of article 49.3, the reform was finally suspended due to the Covid epidemic. Philippe found himself on the front line to manage the latter. After a hesitant start on the issue of masks, he adopted a more educational approach which restored his image. Re-elected with a large majority in Le Havre during the municipal elections, he left Matignon in July 2020 after three years and one month, while his relations with Emmanuel Macron had notoriously cooled.
To avoid the shadow of Matignon hanging over the Elysée, Macron is entering a new era, that of technocrats, by appointing Jean Castex Prime Minister on July 3, 2020, in the midst of a pandemic. Castex, mayor of Prades, senior right-wing official and former deputy secretary general of the Elysée under Nicolas Sarkozy, is nicknamed “Mr. Deconfinement” because of his skills in health crisis management. Although he left Les Républicains, he did not join the ranks of the presidential party any more than his predecessor. During his term, Jean Castex managed the pandemic, implemented the health pass, and introduced measures to counter rising energy prices. He also relaunched road projects and supported sustainable tourism. He resigned on May 16, 2022, after 682 days at Matignon.
Elisabeth Bornethen Minister of Labor, succeeded her, becoming the second woman to hold the post of Prime Minister after Edith Cresson under the presidency of François Mitterrand. Initially, Catherine Vautrin, President of Greater Reims, was tipped for this post, but opposition from the left wing of the presidential majority, due to her positions on marriage for all, led to the appointment of Borne. An expert in the mysteries of power and from the left, she had 41 bills adopted, including pension and immigration reforms, using Article 49.3 23 times to circumvent a vote in the National Assembly, becoming the second Prime Minister to use it so many times after Michel Rocard (28 times). An impressive record since in less than two years at Matignon, she faced 31 motions of censure and led a government that saw 54 ministers pass. After 602 days at Matignon, she leaves after the fifth shortest term at Matignon under the Fifth Republic.
In January 2024, Emmanuel Macron reshuffles his government by accepting the resignation of Elisabeth Borne and appointing Gabriel Attalthen Minister of National Education, as Prime Minister. A loyalist among the loyal, a Macronist from the very beginning, he became, at 34, the youngest head of government in the history of the Fifth Republic. His first steps led to comparisons with Nicolas Sarkozy, with his demand for “straight talking”, his uninhibited discourse on security and a marked attention to media visibility. But his time at Matignon ended with a defeat for his camp in the early legislative elections, which prompted him to submit his resignation to Emmanuel Macron – a head of state with whom he is now reputed to be on bad terms.
On September 5, 2024, after a long phase of consultations, it is Michel Barnier who enters Matignon. Coming from the liberal right, the former Brexit negotiator, aged 73 on the day of his appointment, is a choice by elimination, after several other profiles were rejected by Emmanuel Macron. He will have to face the most uncertain Assembly of the Fifth Republic, likely to bring him down at any time by adopting a motion of censure.
