Gabriel Attal has not forgotten this spike attributed to Rachida Dati on her dog

POLITICS – During a very serious hearing in the Senate, Gabriel Attal had a thought for his dog. Surprising, when at first glance, the context didn't really lend itself to it. The former Prime Minister was in fact questioned this Friday, November 8, about the slippage in public finances in which he is accused of having participated during his time at Matignon.

After Bruno Le Maire the day before, Gabriel Attal therefore submitted to a question-and-answer game with the senators. The tone is sometimes raised, as when Jean-François Husson criticized his interlocutor for being “in denial” : “You were responsible for managing France’s budget. Listening to you, it never costs anything”, said the elected representative Les Républicains.

Trying to justify himself on the measures taken to reduce state spending, Gabriel Attal cited the increase in taxes on electricity, the doubling of medical deductibles, the freezing of 17 billion euros of credit to come… “I don’t believe that in the past, over such a short period of time, a government has identified and dared to make so many savings”he assured, facing the disbelief of some of the senators sitting in front of him. “We did what we could. I have no example of a Prime Minister who canceled 10 billion euros of credit during the year, he also said. I did it right away”.

Dati and the “kebab”, Dupond-Moretti and the “nems”

Gabriel Attal emphasizes having used the term « rigueur » from February. Which would have aroused distrust, and even disapproval from some observers and public opinion. But not only that. “It did not make me popular, including with my ministershe recalled. You probably saw in the press some people wanted to attack my dog ​​because of that”. Sustained language, serious tone, Gabriel Attal refers here to a dig attributed to Rachida Dati.

In March, learning that her budget risked being affected by budgetary restrictions, the Minister of Culture reportedly told the head of government: “I’m going to turn your dog into a kebab”. A flowery language which the mayor of the very wealthy 7th arrondissement is accustomed to since a few weeks earlier it was to the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire that she addressed in unflattering terms: “You are a big piece of shit”. Always for reasons of declining credits. Éric Dupond-Moretti had followed suit, declaring in a joking tone that he too was thinking about transforming Volta, Gabriel Attal's dog, “ in spring rolls for Chinese restaurants.”

Finally, Rachida Dati returned to the episode a few days later. “At Matignon, when Volta sees me, he flees. I said to Gabriel: “Your dog doesn’t like Arabs!” To make things right, I'm going to send him an invitation.” she declared in Paris Match.

The invitation in question is to the dog aperitifs that she organizes every two months in her district, where kibble is offered for the dogs and chips for the owners. A way, she thinks, of creating encounters and encouraging exchanges between dog owners.

At the end of April, Volta went to the town hall gardens… but without his owner.

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