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His entourage announced on Sunday that he was “making the final adjustments to his government”. Several telephone exchanges with Emmanuel Macron took place on Sunday, as well as an interview in the evening at the Élysée.
But the composition of a government responds to a subtle dosage which must notably respect political balances, parity between men and women, and sensitivities. Above all, ministers will have to urgently prepare a budget for 2025, under pressure from oppositions and the financial markets.
Borne, Darmanin, Valls?
The names of former Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne and former Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin are being mentioned to join François Bayrou's team. That of Xavier Bertrand, president of Hauts-de-France and figure of the right-wing Les Républicains (LR) party. also circulated but he confirmed Monday afternoon that he refused to participate in a “government formed with the approval of Marine Le Pen”.
The latter, cited for Justice, was an irritant for the RN, which he fought for a long time. Especially since Marine Le Pen awaits her judgment, with possible ineligibility, in the trial of the assistants of the European Parliament. “This is a very bad sign,” squeaked Jean-Philippe Tanguy (RN), nevertheless repeating that the entry of Xavier Bertrand into the government would not lead to immediate censorship of the far-right party.
As for Gérald Darmanin, ex-LR rallied to the macronie, he publicly applied for the Quai d'Orsay where the current Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot (MoDem) would like to stay. The name of Manuel Valls, former socialist Prime Minister under François Hollande, is also cited for the overseas ministry, by our colleagues at BFMTV.
Rebsamen for the left
On the left, former socialist minister François Rebsamen, 73, announced that he was “ready” to join the government, praising his long-standing “relationship of trust” with François Bayrou.
But almost nothing filters through on other personalities from the left who could be tempted to join François Bayrou. The Socialist Party formally refused to participate in the government and its leader Olivier Faure said he was “dismayed by the poverty of what (was) proposed”, not ruling out censoring the brand new Prime Minister, an ally of the first time of Emmanuel Macron.
The leavers who come back
Among those leaving, Catherine Vautrin (Territories), Rachida Dati (Culture) and Sébastien Lecornu (Armies) should remain, probably in the same portfolios.
On the LR side, they obtained a written commitment from the Prime Minister on Monday, notably on budgetary “savings” and the encouragement of “work by all means”, to which they had conditioned their participation in the government. Laurent Wauquiez, boss of LR deputies, gave up joining the team, failing to obtain the Finance portfolio. On the other hand, the outgoing Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau is on course to stay.
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