Sébastien Lecornu, François Bayrou, Bernard Cazeneuve… For 48 hours, rumors have been rife about the name of Michel Barnier's possible successor at Matignon. At a time when Emmanuel Macron is due to return from his state visit to Saudi Arabia, all the spotlight is now turning to the Élysée where strategists are already hard at work preparing for what comes next.
Officially, however, the President of the Republic continues to say that he cannot “believe” in government censorship, which could occur at the end of the day this Wednesday. Unofficially, however, discussions are already taking place to reflect and find the rare pearl which, perhaps, will allow the next government not to be overthrown in the coming months. So much so that, according to our information, a new name has been invited to high places in recent hours, that of François Baroin.
“This is a hypothesis that is being considered very seriously. In any case, if the president decides to appoint a Prime Minister from the LR ranks, François Baroin is clearly a credible lead,” confides a visitor to the palace, familiar with the behind-the-scenes negotiations. The mayor of Troyes, formerly president of the association of mayors of France, would indeed have several aces up his sleeve. First of all, a solid and arm-length CV: deputy, senator, vice-president of the National Assembly, Minister of the Interior under Jacques Chirac, government spokesperson and Minister of the Economy and Finance under Nicolas Sarkozy.
“He is a local elected official who comes from the right but who has always had very good relations with the PS. And he has no dispute with the RN. He can therefore find a majority of non-censorship around him,” explains a confidant of the head of state. In addition, François Baroin has always maintained very good relations with the deputy for Alpes-Maritimes Éric Ciotti, ex-president of the LR who left with a bang last June to support Marine Le Pen and form his own obedience in the hemicycle, Union des rights for the Republic.
“He is very interested, there is no doubt. And he lets it be known.”
And what does Baroin think? Several times in recent years, his name has already circulated for rue de Varenne. An Arlesian. Like at the time when we were talking about him replacing François Fillon during the 2017 presidential election or in the spring of 2023 to take over from Élisabeth Borne at Matignon. “Baroin, it’s the eternal plan B! », mocks a right-wing pundit. Except that this time, the situation would have changed: “He is very interested, there is no doubt. And he makes it known,” we confide. He would have even discreetly sent messages to this effect in recent hours.
For two days, the phones of Emmanuel Macron and Alexis Kohler, the secretary general of the Élysée, have even heated up on the subject. “It’s a very serious avenue, the president spoke about it to those around him to gauge opinions,” adds another close friend. Without saying on which side the coin will land. Especially since the Sébastien Lecornu track is also seriously studied. In the columns of our newspaper, this Wednesday, the Minister of the Armed Forces gently brushes aside the hypothesis: “This is not the first time that my name has been circulating and I also see the game – not always benevolent – of those who circulate it. But that’s really not the point.”
At this stage, Emmanuel Macron, who wants to move quickly to appoint Michel Barnier's successor, has said nothing about his intentions. “It’s a sphinx,” one of his advisors simply comments. As for Baroin, a wild boar hunting enthusiast, he remains on the lookout. “To be a good hunter, you must be patient, skillful and discreet. And François Baroin is said to be a good hunter. » The confidence is signed by a certain Édouard Philippe, in the columns of Libération in February 2017…
