Emmanuel Macron will he carry out a reshuffle? It’s a bit foggy, but one thing seems to be taking shape: the president is in no hurry. Agathe Lambret’s political editorial.
Reshuffles are not what Emmanuel Macron prefers, euphemizes one of his relatives. Remember, it took two weeks to replace Gérard Collomb in Beauvau, in 2018. Édouard Philippe, Prime Minister at the time, had taken over. This time, while the rumor of a reshuffle this weekend was circulating, it seems that it will not be for now: “nothing today“, slipped Monday this morning a close friend of the president … Nor can be nothing this week, busy between the NATO summit and the ceremonies of July 14.
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The president could also not comply with the traditional television interview this Friday: “If he hasn’t reworked by then, no need for explanations“, judges a relative. If the 100-day operation is coming to an end, the riots have upset the planned schedule. And in this context, Élisabeth Borne seems to be comforted. She herself was authorized to speak in Le Parisien these last days, where she confirms that she will receive unions and employers on Wednesday, which suggests that she has obtained guarantees, at least in the short term.
Because history has taught macronists to be careful: we remember the slow ordeal of Édouard Philippe, 3 years ago, when the president cast doubt on his replacement at Matignon, to the point that Édouard Philippe thought that he was going to stay. Today, Elisabeth Borne can be comforted, while seeing her days numbered. Especially since the Gérald Darmanin hypothesis to replace it is more than ever mentioned. As always, there is a struggle for influence, but the host from Beauvau has strong support at the Élysée.
Autumn will be hard
So, could Emmanuel Macron do without a reshuffle? It seems difficult: no one in the majority imagines approaching the start of the school year with so many weakened ministers. How to keep a Minister of Education deemed too transparent, when the response to the crisis goes through the school?
And at the same time, some plead for the status quo or for a minimalist reshuffle: changing Prime Minister now would not make sense, they say, because the fall will be too hard. It is therefore necessary to use Élisabeth Borne to the end. And if this suspense does not contribute to the effectiveness of the government: difficult for a minister threatened with eviction to impose himself against his administration.
The situation allows Emmanuel Macron to remember one thing, when all eyes are on his estate: he is the “master of the clocks”. And the month of July has only just begun.