Two days after the appointment of the mayor of Pau as prime minister, the former President of the Republic judges that the centrist has won “a form of independence” by winning his standoff with Emmanuel Macron.
He had not spoken nationally since the appointment of François Bayrou to Matignon. Two days after the painful formalization of Emmanuel Macron's choice, his predecessor, never shy of a dig at him, underlines the way in which the mayor of Pau imposed himself this Friday morning after an arm of iron with the President of the Republic, who preferred the Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu. A sign, according to the PS deputy, of the institutional weakness of the head of state. Guest Sunday evening on BFMTV, the elected socialist considers that the process “can paradoxically give François Bayrou a freedom that would not have been his” if history had been different.
Without going so far as to mention cohabitation between the two men, the parliamentarian from Corrèze affirms that the Béarnais “no longer depends on the president, it only depends on Parliament, in this case the National Assembly.” And to urge the Prime Minister “to bring to life” the Lower House “like in a parliamentary democracy”.
Also read
François Bayrou, the lowest common denominator in the Assembly
In other words, Emmanuel Macron, who was “strength” to appoint François Bayrou, simply cannot “no more stopping now” the centrist leader. Throughout his interview, François Hollande held back his attacks against the one who had called for people to vote for him in 2012. Even if he did, however, send a warning: “The conditions under which he was appointed give him a form of independence which he must make good use of.”
“Of stability, credibility and change”
The two heads of the executive couple may well have “the same political sensitivity” according to the former President of the Republic, the latter expects less «rupture» that one “change” with the policy pursued for seven years. “This is what his method and the content of his proposals must be”he insisted.
Praising the “long experience” of François Bayrou's local elected official, his knowledge of social partners and his pro-European DNA, François Hollande expects from the new Prime Minister of “stability, credibility, but also change”. “Change will allow stability. For this to last, there must be developments”advised the socialist parliamentarian with the aim of reaching an agreement «non-censorship» with part of the left. Before concluding: “He will have to make an effort to give guarantees and also make progress”.
