Name
Rachida Dati
Age
58 years old
Functions
New Minister of Culture, Mayor of 7e district of Paris, former Minister of Justice under Sarkozy (2007-2009)
Distinctive signs
Chatter, big mouth, charisma, bling-bling
Why are we talking about it
Rachida Dati has just been appointed Minister of Culture in France, following a ministerial reshuffle orchestrated by new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. This appointment comes as a surprise to the country because of the profile of this former protégé of Nicolas Sarkozy, clearly on the right and not at all identified with culture. A “big blow” for Macronie, even a “political earthquake”, which has all the signs of a marriage of interest.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS MORI, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Rachida Dati and Nicolas Sarkozy, in 2007
Character
The daughter of North African immigrants from a modest background, Rachida Dati is a true political star. His “direct style”, very “cash”, stands out in the cozy environment of ministerial offices. But his rants as well as his bling-bling side are the delight of the media and strike a chord with the working classes. “She has a special relationship with the street, where we look at her like a rock star,” summarizes Bertrand Gréco, independent journalist and expert in municipal politics. “People want to touch her. There are relatively few policies that provoke this kind of reaction. »
Stupor and tremors
The announcement of his appointment was received with concern by the cultural community, which has been speaking out on social networks since Thursday. Unlike those who preceded her (Rima Abdul Malak, Roselyne Bachelot), Rachida Dati has never shown, until now, any particular interest in culture, a sector of which she knows neither the workings nor the subtleties. “I join a general movement which is one of amazement which consists of first of all saying that she knows nothing about it,” says actor Jacques Bonnaffé, director of the Compagnie Faisan. “We have rarely seen her in artistic events. We don’t know what his policy will be. But what seems characteristic of this type of personality to me is this kind of immobile notion, where we defend a somewhat old-fashioned distinction of culture. She does not advocate intelligence, one could even say the opposite. So this is very bad news. But let’s not be Cassandra, we’re not going to announce the worst right away. Even from one’s worst enemy one can expect advantages. » Mme Dati herself acknowledged that her appointment could come as a surprise, but promised to put her “combativeness at the service of culture”.
Hard blow for LR
Rachida Dati is a real “trophy” for Emmanuel Macron. Former Minister of Justice and MEP, current mayor of 7e district in Paris, she was one of the last stars of the right-wing Les Républicains (LR) party, in disarray since the last elections. Mme Dati is thus added to the long list of defectors from this political family to have joined the majority (Bruno Le Maire, Sébastien Lecornu, Gérald Darmanin, etc.). An important “war prize”, adds Olivier Ihl, since it gives a certain color to Macronie a few months before the European elections scheduled for June. “The National Rally is currently leading by 10 points in voting intentions. If Macron wants to win, he must target young people, people from working-class backgrounds, with few qualifications, workers. However, Rachida Dati speaks to this audience. It reaches this audience. It’s not easy for everyone. »
Parisian ambitions
Minister of Culture, it’s glamorous. Mayor of Paris, even more so! Rachida Dati does not hide it: her ultimate ambition is to succeed Anne Hidalgo at city hall, which she already attempted in 2019. According to observers, it is likely that Emmanuel Macron promised her to give him free rein during the next municipal elections in 2026, in exchange for his support. Is she likely to realize her fantasy? That remains to be seen. “Hidalgo is mistreated in the media, but among the Parisian electorate, she is still appreciated,” underlines Bertrand Gréco. In fact, the sociology of the Parisian electorate does not correspond at all to the right. Mme Dati will therefore not necessarily be in a position of strength. »
Indictment
Only one risk in this marriage of interest: forced separation. Mme Dati is indeed involved in some problems, including an indictment for “corruption and passive influence peddling”. She is suspected of having pocketed 900,000 euros (CAN 1.32 million) from the Renault company for her advice (she is a lawyer by training) between 2010 and 2012, while she was a European deputy. “An indictment is not a conviction… it does not mean guilt,” argued Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, invoking the presumption of innocence. The matter is continuing. We will know in the coming months if a trial will take place.