Borne, Darmanin, Valls, Retailleau… The great return of ministers of state, an honorary title forgotten since 2019

It is the return to grace of a prestigious title. While François Bayrou's government was announced Monday evening, it includes four ministers of state. An honorary distinction that the Béarnais granted to two of his predecessors at Matignon – Manuel Valls, appointed Minister of Overseas Territories and Élisabeth Borne, chosen to succeed Anne Genetet at Education -, as well as to Bruno Retailleau, who remains Place Beauvau, and Gérald Darmanin, back in power as Keeper of the Seals.

Way for the Prime Minister, who furtively benefited from this ceremonial pre-eminence during his short stint at the Ministry of Justice between May and June 2017, to underline the importance that these very political portfolios have for him. It must be said that this title of Minister of State had fallen into disuse in recent years.

A benefit from the early Macron years

Since the summer of 2019 precisely, when the Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition François de Rugy – entangled by several affairs affecting his lifestyle – was forced to resign. In the government of Édouard Philippe, of which he was a part for a little less than a year, other personalities had also been appointed ministers of state. Like Gérard Collomb, Minister of the Interior, between May 2017 and October 2018 but also Nicolas Hulot, Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, between May 2017 and September 2018.

This advantage, ultimately very revealing of the priorities of the executive couple, Emmanuel Macron wanted to grant it from the start of his presidency. As a snub to his predecessor François Hollande, who had not appointed any minister of state between 2012 and 2017.