Michel Barnier, who is continuing his discussions to form his government, has promised that everyone will have “their place”, in particular his political family Les Républicains, which he will meet again on Thursday on his Savoyard lands and, like the Macronists, is raising the stakes.
“I will form the government next week with serious ministers and a government that will be balanced, representative, plural and naturally (with) my political family,” affirmed the Prime Minister in Bourget-du-Lac in Savoie, his chosen land, where he was president of the department for 17 years.
The former Minister of the Environment had just visited the National Institute of Solar Energy, of which he said he was a big “fan”, before once again showing his attachment to public services in a France Services house.
He is expected in the afternoon in Annecy (Haute-Savoie) by the LR deputies and senators gathered for their parliamentary return.
Mr Barnier said he had “very friendly and very cordial relations” with the LR president of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, as well as with the LR leaders of the deputies Laurent Wauquiez and the senators Bruno Retailleau. “Everyone will have their place”, he assured, while several LR officials but also outgoing ministers would like to be in his government.
The name of Laurent Wauquiez is circulating for the post of Minister of the Interior and Annie Genevard has said publicly that she would agree to go to Education.
– Requirements –
“LR’s CVs land on Michel Barnier’s desk,” observes an amused senator, convinced that Laurent Wauquiez cannot “remain in a quagmire in the Assembly, while the others take the spotlight in government.”
After refusing to be part of it, the LR parliamentarians changed their minds and gave the green light on Wednesday to participation in the future government but “for a real right-wing policy”.
The right plays a pivotal role in the National Assembly, despite the small size of its group, made up of only 47 elected members.
In front of his deputies on Wednesday, Mr. Wauquiez set out his demands. He expressed concern about “the reappointment of outgoing ministers who would not give the image of change”, demanding that Michel Barnier “not be held hostage to yesterday’s policies”.
He also did not hide his opposition to the possibility of introducing “proportional representation which threatens the stability of our institutions”, and awaits clarification on “immigration, the budgetary trajectory, the danger of tax increases and the valorization of work”.
The National Rally (RN) has made the introduction of proportional representation one of its conditions for not censoring the government.
On immigration, Mr. Barnier expressed his concern to “control” it with “rigor and tenacity” but also with “humanity”. The creation of a ministry dedicated to immigration, as was once discussed under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy, seems to be ruled out, according to a leading member of the former majority.
– “Not easy” –
The deputies of the Macronist Renaissance party met Michel Barnier on Tuesday evening. The party’s executive board, which met on Wednesday evening, did not formally confirm its participation in the government, wishing to continue “programmatic discussions” and making it “imperative” for the left, right and centre to be present in the new team.
Its secretary general, Stéphane Séjourné, said he was in favour of “taking the ministries of good news”, according to a participant, and of “imposing as many of Renaissance’s views as possible”. But the former Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, did not seem to believe that the party could “impose anything” on Michel Barnier, according to the same source.
Gérald Darmanin, the resigning Minister of the Interior, warned against the “splintering” of the central bloc, between the right wing ready to join the government and the very reluctant left wing.
Aurore Bergé, from the right wing, said on RTL that the “alternation” demanded by the French in the legislative elections had to “be embodied with, despite everything, members of the central bloc” in the government, but she acknowledged that it was “not simple”.
The outgoing Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, said his farewells to Bercy on Thursday, hoping that France would “not go backwards” in terms of tax cuts and public finances, while the government’s first challenge will be the construction of the budget in a context of exploding deficits.
The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, who has promised to stay in the background, will nevertheless be in Le Havre on Thursday evening alongside Edouard Philippe, an ally with whom relations have cooled again since the Horizons boss announced his candidacy for the Elysée.
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