How the centrist forced the doors of Matignon after tense hours

How the centrist forced the doors of Matignon after tense hours
How the centrist forced the doors of Matignon after tense hours
LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP François Bayrou and Emmanuel Macron (here on June 21, 2022 at the Elysée) had a very lively exchange lasting 1 hour 45 minutes this Friday, December 13 before the announcement of the appointment of the new Prime Minister.

LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP

François Bayrou and Emmanuel Macron (here on June 21, 2022 at the Elysée) had a very lively exchange lasting 1 hour 45 minutes this Friday, December 13 before the announcement of the appointment of the new Prime Minister.

POLITICS – Morning to love, curse or despise? Emmanuel Macron named François Bayrou Prime Minister this Friday, December 13, after a final phase of doubts and at the end of a deadline that he has postponed several times. The mayor of is now responsible for “ form a government », According to the concise press release from the Élysée published shortly before 1 p.m.

This time, no surprises. The centrist, architect of Emmanuel Macron's victory in 2017, was a favorite since the adoption of the motion of censure in the National Assembly, and the fall of Michel Barnier a week ago. At 73, the president of MoDem, cited in almost every reshuffle, has access to the functions he has always dreamed of.

However, his fate almost changed in recent hours. According to several media, the President of the Republic hesitated, even in this final straight, with the other contenders for the post, the Macronists Sébastien Lecornu or Roland Lescure and the former socialist Bernard Cazeneuve. To the point of erasing his name for a short time.

At 5 a.m., Macron warns Bayrou that he is missing the boat

Thursday December 12. The President of the Republic cuts short his visit to Poland, returning to in the early evening and working on the appointment of his Prime Minister. So much for visiting the Warsaw museum. The 48-hour deadline that he mentioned to the political parties expires, and the days without a legitimate government are ticking away, far from the promise of promptness made by his entourage after the fall of Michel Barnier.

A hasty return to shorten the suspense? And name his faithful ally, whose name has been appearing for several days in the media and on the banners of news channels? Him whom he has received face to face at the Élysée on several occasions since the fall of Michel Barnier? Nope. The palace tells the press that the announcement has been postponed until Friday morning. The rumors therefore continue with a vengeance, particularly around former minister Roland Lescure.

A few hours later, Friday, François Bayrou received a call from the President of the Republic at dawn. According to The World and France televisions, it is 5 o'clock when Emmanuel Macron warns the president of MoDem that he will not be the lucky one. He misses the step once again, after having aimed for the position several times, notably at the time of the appointments of Edouard Philippe in 2017 or more recently Élisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal. But he hasn't said his last word.

« The morning was very tense”

The mayor of Pau goes to the Élysée around 8:30 a.m. for a new interview with Emmanuel Macron. This will last almost two hours behind closed doors on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The exchange goes badly between the two cantors of “ political overreach » and no press release was published at the end. For good reason, the François Bayrou hypothesis at Matignon seemed buried at that time.

What happens next? “ The morning was very tense, we don’t hide it », summarizes a MoDem executive without dwelling on the discussions and reasons for disagreement. “ There was a period of time between François Bayrou's exit from the Élysée and the formalization which was unbearable for many people “, he specifies. The first standoff within this new executive couple?

At Le Parisien, a source familiar with the negotiations assures that “ It started very violently between the two. François was in mode: Hold me back or I'll make a mistake. He threatened to blow up the majority if it wasn't him. » In fact, we can easily imagine the centrist being thrown into disarray in the face of such disillusionment, he, the historic ally of the president who has always made his own little music heard. To the point of regularly threatening the head of state and his troops to withdraw his marbles from the presidential family.

End of the suspense at 12:45 p.m.: François Bayrou has been appointed to Matignon, announces the Élysée in a one-line press release. The entourage of the head of state affirms that he “imposed itself” as “the most consensual” suitors. For his first reaction as appointed head of government, the Béarnais spoke to him “ path to find » to enable institutional stability. He also evokes a figure in history to whom he has devoted several writings: Henry IV, this “ free king. » Emmanuel Macron has been warned.

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