POLITICS – Things are getting serious. In the midst of searching for candidates to form his government, Prime Minister Michel Barnier will have his first discussions with the deputies of the former majority on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 9 September.
Michel Barnier for a Ministry of Immigration? The Left is Howling, Matignon is Temporizing
The former Brexit negotiator will first meet with Macronist MPs and senators from the Ensemble pour la République (EPR, ex-Renaissance) group on Tuesday evening during their parliamentary days in Rosny-sur-Seine (Yvelines), near Paris.
“I agreed with the Prime Minister that he would come for a first meeting with the group at 7 p.m.”wrote the group’s chairman, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, in a message to its members. An important first test for the new occupant of Matignon, while some of the president’s troops are still hesitant to give him their support. Not to mention the support to be found in Parliament before the arduous budget battle.
“Nothing can be done without us”has already warned Gabriel Attal, now at the head of the 97 Macronist deputies, who will not have towards him “ neither will to block nor unconditional support”. Leaving Bercy for the vice-presidency of the National Assembly, Roland Lescure warned: “ My trust will not be automatic” and a tougher immigration policy will be a “ red line ».
Macronist troops divided
Others are more open, like Sylvain Maillard who judges that “ The President of the Republic took his time to find the right person” and that “ Now we have to build with him”. With “ requirement » certainly, for “ that our ideas are taken up”but also in order to “ to ensure stability”.
His colleague Karl Olive is almost a candidate: “ If we can be useful, we should not ask questions.”explains the deputy of Yvelines, for whom “ Mr Barnier does not need anyone to tell him what to do..
After the EPR deputies, Michel Barnier will travel to Reims on Wednesday, where the elected representatives of Edouard Philippe’s party, Horizons, are meeting, according to Matignon and the parliamentary group. From the outset, the mayor of Le Havre promised that his supporters would be “ many to help him”.
The Prime Minister’s visit is also planned to the 36 MoDem deputies, who are also meeting on Wednesday and Thursday in Cély-en-Bière (Seine-et-Marne), where the welcome should be friendly. Didn’t François Bayrou praise on Sunday the “ assets » by Michel Barnier, “ a good choice » for Matignon because he “ will allow the majority to be expanded” ?
LR ready to join government
Then, he could join Savoie and Haute-Savoie, where the parliamentarians of his party, Les Républicains (LR), will meet – which did not belong to the majority supporting Emmanuel Macron in the previous legislature. Initially reluctant to join the government, the right – from which Michel Barnier himself comes – is preparing to take the step.
“The Prime Minister seems to have adopted our proposals and I believe that we will be able to participate in the government.”summarized the president (LR) of the Senate Gérard Larcher in an interview with Figaro published Monday evening.
The Prime Minister, who does not have an absolute majority in the National Assembly, will have to ensure the balance of a fragile parliamentary coalition, which should be based on the Macronist bloc (EPR, Horizons, MoDem), the right and the centrist Liot group (Liberté, Indépendants, Outre-mer, Territoires).
It is therefore a question for him of renewing a team which is undoubtedly enlarged on the right – he himself promised “ ruptures » – while opening it to the left and without turning the extreme right against it. A challenge.
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