Editorial. In the absence of Emmanuel Macron, Gabriel Attal intends to take the spotlight

Emmanuel Macron began his traditional summer break on Sunday at Fort Brégançon on the Var coast, which gives outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal plenty of room to occupy the media space.

Emmanuel Macron arrived in Brégançon on Sunday, July 28 for a few days of vacation, which gives the resigning Prime Minister complete freedom to manage current affairs in his own way, that is to say in a very visible manner. Gabriel Attal is a bit like Shiva, a character from Hindu mythology with four hands. One for the drum (which gives the rhythm), another which protects, the third which holds the flame (to destroy what must be destroyed), the last which represents the hope of liberation.

In terms of pace, in recent days, the head of the resigning government has been going from Léon Marchand at the Olympic swimming pool to the sabre final and canoeing with Tony Estanguet for Nicolas Gestin’s medal. He is even present at horse riding and at the gym (when there are no tricolors). “Medals unite the French, who really need them” he emphasizes with protective accents, at a press conference at the Ministry of Transport… Follow his gaze! He denounces SNCF sabotage, suggests staying hydrated with the high temperatures, and gives hope for a swimmable Seine for triathlon with the weather forecast for the next few days. And it continues, Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., Olympic meeting with all the full ministers. Guess who will speak at the exit: obviously him.

While it happens that a Prime Minister takes his ease in the absence of the President, the exercise can sometimes prove perilous. In August 94, Édouard Balladur was criticized for having boasted a little too much about having “chaired” a Defense Council when he was only replacing François Mitterrand at short notice, who was ill and had decided at the last moment not to do so. It is never good to imagine yourself as the Caliph in the Caliph’s place. In their time, Nicolas Sarkozy, Minister of the Interior, defying President Jacques Chirac, or Manuel Valls, imagining himself in the place of François Hollande, were both kicked.

In this case, Gabriel Attal has nothing more to lose, he has resigned! The President, who did not put him in the loop for the dissolution, freed him from his duty of loyalty. “Be careful though, warns an advisor from the Center, not to appear too vengeful or calculating”
This is good, the “action pact” that he presented to the Macronist deputies on Tuesday (since he is now their leader) can always serve as a pledge offered to the president compatible with all coalition hypotheses! A little security and values ​​for LR, public services and ecology for the left, Europe and institutions for Macronie, and a notion that sounds like a counter-fire to the candidate of the New Popular Front: Lucie Castet: “tax justice”!

According to several sources, Gabriel Attal already has in his pocket some of the advisers of the Élysée Palace who are disgusted by the dissolution and convinced that the future is written with him. Emmanuel Macron would perhaps be well inspired to reappear at the Olympic swimming pool this evening. Just so as not to leave the field open…