“That was awesome!” Anaé still has stars in her eyes when she talks about her ninth-grade observation internship. And for good reason: the schoolgirl from Montlouis-sur-Loire has just spent a week at the Elysée Palace in Paris. In the communication department, she discovered behind the scenes of the Presidency of the Republic.
“At the Elysée, everything must approach perfection”
First discovery for the 14-year-old girl, the golds of the Republic. “I couldn’t visit everything, but what I saw was really splendid. The village hall, the ceilings, the winter garden with the glass roof… It’s magnificent!” Also with privileged access to the basements of the Elysée. “I visited the printing works, the florist, the kitchens, the upholsterer, the linen workers. There are really a lot of people!”
But Anaé has above all was able to observe the communication department of the palace, with its various services (telephone switchboard, mail, digital and press relations). “At the Elysée, everything must approach perfection. That’s why everything is checked, calculated, all the time. Every detail counts”, remarks the schoolgirl. “For example, I was shown the details of the backdrops, during the interventions. All these details that we do not see when we are in front of our screen, but which are nevertheless important.”
Discovering behind the scenes of political communication
What did Anaé prefer? The digital communication. “When I see the president’s publications on social networks, I do not imagine all that is behind it, as upstream work. The staff also pays close attention to the repercussions of each publication, via curves, data on the subscribers or the controversies generated. I found it super interesting to see behind the scenes.”
The young girl was also able to discover the National Assembly, for an afternoon, with the Touraine deputy Daniel Labaronne. She attended a government question and answer session and thus crossed several ministers, including Prime Minister Jean Castex. “We didn’t talk much but everyone encouraged me.” On the other hand, she only saw the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, from afar.
An internship that she is therefore not about to forget. “I enjoyed every moment. I asked all the questions I had to ask.” With a slight twinge in the heart at the time of departure. “When I left, I said to myself that this might be the last time I was going to push this door”. Unless she one day becomes President of the Republic, as she aspires. “This internship did not really help me decide”, she smiles.