differences between Emmanuel Macron and his Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne?

What happens between the Elysée and Matignon? Various reports point to differences between the President and the Prime Minister. franceinfo met Elisabeth Borne at length on Thursday April 6 at Matignon, a meeting where the head of government repeated a message: we must calm things down after the pension episode. France needs appeasement, it’s not going to be “business as usual”. “We will have to take texts back to parliament and come together”these are the words of the head of government.

Basically, this means: “Hands off the pension reform”. For the Prime Minister the debate is closed, but thereafter, it will take time. “You have to show consideration to people”, she says. It calls for resuming the dialogue with the social partners, also for reuniting the majority which has suffered for a few weeks, for allowing a little time to pass so that the oppositions and in particular the right can catch their breath. “I did not feel any tension or any distance with Emmanuel Macron”, this is what she repeated at the end of the morning in front of the microphones from Ariège. She explained that she shares the same objectives as the President, that sets the course for him and that she is working on this roadmap. So no substantive differences between the Head of State and his Prime Minister. Maybe a different appreciation on the tempo but nothing on the direction.

Find majorities of projects, according to the laws

For the time being, this does not change anything about the political period that we are living through. The executive remains suspended from the decision of the Constitutional Council. Will the pension reform be censored? If so, will it be totally or partially? Matignon is preparing for marginal censorship. For the future, Elisabeth Borne therefore has a mission: that of setting up a new legislative agenda. On what political projects, what reforms? This is the question, which will allow or not to enlarge the majority as also requested by the president. This is a point on which remains unclear for the Prime Minister who specifies: “It’s not about making coalitions. We’re talking about finding project majorities, text by text.”

The Prime Minister does not seem to believe in a political pact but therefore remains on the idea of ​​finding support on the right or left according to the laws. This is actually what his government has already succeeded in doing on renewable energies or nuclear power. Finally, Elisabeth Borne sweeps away the idea that she is on borrowed time at Matignon, she shows herself to be determined and rather combative. Thursday, it is not a Prime Minister in the middle of her boxes, ready to leave her post, that we met.