Gérald Darmanin will leave the Ministry of the Interior in the event of defeat in the legislative elections, two weeks before the start of the Games

Candidate in the 10th constituency in the North, the minister announced on Friday that he would resign if he was “beaten” or “if the RN or LFI were to win”, a few weeks before the Olympic Games.

Gerald Darmanin liked to say that“once a century, there is a guy who is unlucky, who is Minister of the Interior and who has to organize the Olympic Games in Paris”. This “kind” will ultimately perhaps not be him, at least not until the end, early legislative elections oblige. While the possibility of a change of majority and Minister of the Interior a few weeks before the Olympic Games (July 26 – August 11) has raised questions since the announcement of the dissolution of the Assembly, Gérald Darmanin confirmed , Friday June 21 to AFP, that he would leave his post in two scenarios.

Candidate for the presidential camp (Together) in the 10th constituency of the North, which he won with 57.52% of the votes in 2022, the former mayor of Tourcoing announced that he would not be “under no circumstances Minister of the Interior, even for a few more weeks” “if ever the RN or LFI [membre du Nouveau Front populaire] came to win”.

While he declared a year ago, on BFMTV, that “France is incapable of organizing the slightest event”Jordan Bardella, expected to be named Prime Minister in the event of a victory for the RN, declared in mid-June “grant total confidence in state services for the organization” of the event and that it “do not modify[ait] not the device” in place. “Even Mr. Bardella welcomed the fact that the Olympics were well prepared and that there was a good Minister of the Interior”quipped Gérald Darmanin, before insisting: “If we lose the elections nationally, we no longer have legitimacy” And “I will not go to work with Mr. Bardella or Mr. Mélenchon”.

Second scenario which would mark his departure: his own defeat during the election, in which Gérald Darmanin will notably be opposed to the RN Bastien Verbrugghe, the rebellious (for the New Popular Front) Leslie Mortreux – against whom he won in the second round in 2022 – and Jérôme Garcia, a Les Républicains candidate invested in Tourcoing, but not supported by the local federation. “If I were ever to be beaten as a deputy, obviously, I would not continue to be a minister, that’s normal. When you’re in politics, you have to be elected”believes Gérald Darmanin.

Only a third scenario would allow its maintenance, even temporary, in the Interior, at least for the duration of the Olympics: the victory of the presidential camp, given at 19.5% of voting intentions, behind the RN and its allies (35.5 %)), and the NFP (29.5%), according to an Ipsos survey for Radio France and The Parisian published Saturday. “If ever the President of the Republic were to have a majority, it is he who would choose his government. I imagine that there will be a change of government and obviously, in this case, I will be at the disposal of the President of the Republicsaid Gérald Darmanin. If he thinks that I am useful for this position or another, I will study the proposal of the President of the Republic and I will serve my country as I have always done.”

On the possible consequences of a change of Minister of the Interior two weeks before the opening ceremony of the Games, Gérald Darmanin, in office for almost four years, only noted that “the Olympics were well prepared. Everyone knows it and everyone welcomes it”. Had this crisis scenario been anticipated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), confronted during the Rio Games in 2016 to the process which led to the dismissal of thehe Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff? “It’s notin a crisis scenario, it is a democratic choice”sweeps a source within the presidential camp.

“Everything is launched, we are no longer really at the stage of purely political choices, except in the event of a serious unforeseen event”, notes a judicial source within an Ile-de-France prosecutor’s office, who has participated in numerous crisis exercises. She emphasizes that the preparation work was mainly “was done by the administrative staff, in particular under the leadership of the interministerial delegate” at the Games, Michel Cadot. “The problem lies more in the image returned” internationally, adds this same source.

On the side of the police unions, we will scrutinize the results of the elections in the 10th district of the North. “For the Olympics, everything is launched, reinforcements are planned but it is not the best time to leave.observed from franceinfo Alain Morel, Deputy Secretary General of the Union of Internal Security Executives (SCSI). “In extreme cases, the ministerial response is always eagerly awaited, but the police response will not be hampered by a change of minister. However, we are all very attentive to what will be after July 7″, continues Alain Morel. And the trade unionist added: “The only thing we expect from the conductor is that he plays his part well, the musicians are ready.”