On Wednesday, the Elysée indicated that the president will not grant an interview on the day of the National Day, but that he will make “a point around July 14”.
So when is the redesign? This question has been coming up repeatedly for several days in the entourage of the Head of State. If Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Wednesday July 12 in the evening, at the end of the NATO summit in Vilnius in Lithuania, that he would not speak to the French this Friday on the occasion of the July 14 ceremonies, there there is a certain “tension” at the moment in the government.
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No interview, no speech: the head of state had yet set this date himself to take stock after the pension reform. But, in the meantime, the political deal has changed, leaving the president waiting. So, as if to show that he remains the only one”clock master“, Emmanuel Macron assumes his silence. The interview of July 14? Very little for him: the riots and the threat of new violence in the nights to come have got the better of his promise to take stock of the famous 100 days of appeasement announced after the turbulent period of the pension reform.
“I will make a point around July 14“, annoys the Head of State, frowning from the NATO summit in Vilnius, without communicating”neither the date nor the form”, even if we understand that a speech will be made “sooner after” the National Day.
What message to the French?
A few moments before, already, Wednesday morning, the Elysée had indicated that the president will not grant an interview on the day of the National Day. And Emmanuel Macron to slip: “You will grant me some freedom on this practice“. He has only lent himself twice to the traditional presidential interview of July 14 over his six years in office: in 2020 and 2022. The Head of State had also given interviews to West France and German newspapers in 2017. In 2018, 2019 and 2021, he did not speak on National Day, thus breaking with a long tradition.
But behind this “freedom”, a reality: the presidential agenda is saturated. Council of Ministers Thursday morning, speech to the armies Thursday evening, military parade on Friday, then reception of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, guest of honor, in stride…: “Everything is tense, the atmosphere is painful“, grimaces a well-informed adviser.
So, how can we ignore the rumors of a reshuffle: will Elisabeth Borne remain Prime Minister? What future for Marlène Schiappa and the Minister of National Education Pap Ndiaye? By choosing not to speak, Emmanuel Macron also takes the risk of giving the impression that he does not know what to do.