The arrival of Stéphane Séjourné at the Quai d’Orsay is well received in Brussels. The one who served in the European Parliament built a reputation there as a man capable of finding compromises.
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The reshuffle brought its share of surprises, including the departure of Catherine Colonna and the arrival at the Quai d’Orsay of Stéphane Séjourné. This early Macronist is renowned for never having distanced himself from the president, despite his departure in 2018 from the Élysée. But he had been physically far from Paris since 2019 and his election to the European Parliament. The presidential list was led by Nathalie Loiseau but it was Stéphane Séjourné who led the campaign.
Upon his arrival at the European Parliament in 2019, he took charge of the French delegation of La République en Marche. Two years later, in October 2021, he succeeded the Romanian Dacian Cioloş as president of the centrist group where the French are the most numerous. He has just over two years remaining in this position. He demonstrated his ability to hold his troops in a centrist group with strong personalities and parties not always on the same line, such as the Germans of the FDP or the Swedes of Liberalerna.
More prestige, less influence
In Brussels, Stéphane Séjourné managed to master the very special exercise of the European Parliament, in particular to find difficult compromises such as on the law on the restoration of nature or the Asylum and Migration Pact. He arrives at the Quai d’Orsay with great familiarity with Europe, which will facilitate personal contacts with his counterparts, except perhaps with the Hungarians, given his intransigence on the rule of law in Hungary. But some warn Stéphane Séjourné: he risks gaining prestige but losing influence.
His departure from the European Parliament opens the waltz of successions since it has already been necessary to replace him at the head of the Renew group. It is the Dutch liberal Malik Azmani who will take over but, in theory, only on an interim basis, and a vote will therefore have to be organized. Above all, the big question within the centrist group is who will lead the list for the European elections in June.
