The comments of the new Minister of National Education on the absenteeism of public teachers have weakened her position in the government. Several majority executives question his ability to continue his mission at the head of a large ministry bringing together National Education, Youth, Sports and the Olympics.
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has one setback after another. Since her arrival on January 11 at the head of a very large Ministry of National Education, Youth, Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the number 5 of the new government has been entangled in several controversies. By evoking, as soon as she took office, the absenteeism of public teachers to justify having educated her children in the private Stanislas establishment in Paris, she gave rise to doubts even within the majority. “She buried herself in lies, we had the impression that her kids were in REP+ [réseau d’éducation prioritaire]. Behind it is the chronicle of a predicted disaster, it was obvious that the press was going to dig into the files”exasperates the advisor to a leading minister.
Latest episode to date, Monday January 22: the publication of a parliamentary report on sports federations, which highlights the remuneration received by Amélie Oudéa-Castéra when she was general director of the French Tennis Federation, from 2021 to 2022. “Either it fades into public opinion and she gets out of it; or it sparks with other revelations, in which case we are dead”a Renaissance MP predicted last week. “It’s certain that we had the best introduction for a minister”also euphemizes a member of the majority who wants to be lenient.
“She got herself into trouble by herself.”
The Macronist troops are now wondering about these two weeks of errors in the communication from the Minister of Education. After her controversial exit linked to public education, the minister apologized to the educational community and went to the Littré public school, where her eldest was briefly educated. A new communications error, according to certain majority executives. “Who decides that it’s a good idea to put a coin back in the machine and go to Littré school?” breathes a Renaissance deputy. “The minister does not put a coin in the machine. The subject is everywhereretorts those around him. She responds to this controversy through dialogue and work. She went there with courage, with knowledge of the facts.”
The former tennis player tries again to turn the page, Tuesday January 16, at the National Assembly during the question session to the government. Questioned by the rebellious deputy Rodrigo Arenas, she steps up to the microphone under boos from the opposition and supported by rare applause from the majority. “I didn’t applaud her, she got herself into trouble on her own and her answer to the question was bad. She went back into something personal, instead of talking about the success of the children. .”annoys a member of the majority. “We feel that she is not used to being surrounded by a media horde. We weren’t asking him to be bombarded with questions for 30 minutes on a morning TV show, but only to answer a question by being a little offensive and determined.“exasperates another.
“We feel a form of tetany linked to this accumulation of files and undoubtedly linked to the organization of the new government team.”
A Renaissance MPat franceinfo
The next day, a new attack from the opposition. “Why do you stay in office? You cannot act, since you are rightly hated by the educational community,” asks the environmentalist deputy Benjamin Lucas. The minister does not get up. “I do not wish to respond to these provocations”she whispers, according to the session report. “What I have seen in recent days is a very fragile minister, who refuses to obstruct, who refuses to answer parliamentary questions, who tries to let things settle down rather than move forward. at the niche”still regrets today a Renaissance deputy. “She doesn’t have much support in the group, she doesn’t embody much, so the deputies say to themselves that there is not much interest in supporting her”adds a ministerial advisor.
“They undervalue it”
The minister’s entourage wants to be reassuring about the doubts expressed among the Macronists and assures that the government spokesperson, Prisca Thevenot, has called on everyone to unite at the meeting of the group’s spokespersons on January 16. “Let’s let her work, let’s give her the right to make mistakes”demands Bouches-du-Rhône MP Anne-Laurence Petel. “Those who attack her don’t know her, they are wrong, they underestimate her”adds former minister Eric Woerth.
“She has great political potential, she fell on a bone, but we were much more kind to others.”
Eric Woerth, MP and former ministerat franceinfo
A rare survivor of civil society, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra still benefits for the moment from the support of Emmanuel Macron. “It’s going to stick with her for a long time, but she’ll get through it”estimates a close friend of the head of state. “The President of the Republic is not the type to abandon his troops, we saw this clearly during the indictments of Olivier Dussopt and Eric Dupond-Moretti”recalls a ministerial advisor. “I know that the president’s level of confidence in her is quite strong and that he is not impressed by this type of manhunt”adds a deputy.
“She smashed all of Gabriel Attal’s work”
But many remain demanding a rapid recovery of school-related matters, “mother of battles” of the new government, in the words of the new Prime Minister. “In one day, she destroyed all of Gabriel Attal’s work at National Education”rails a ministerial advisor. “It will make us lose all the credit restored with the teaching unions”exclaims a MoDem deputy. “If she doesn’t manage to pick up the thread, she will be beaten. She is expected around the corner, already some people don’t understand that we have merged three ministries…”still worries a Renaissance deputy who is already turning towards the strike announced on February 1 by several national education union organizations.
“If the School over-mobilizes itself after the minister’s controversial outings, it will be impossible, I don’t see how we will last long.”
A Renaissance MPat franceinfo
“Objectively, it’s going to be complicated, not because of the press articles, but because of the break with the ecosystem, because if they screw it up every time, it’s going to be untenable,” judges a ministerial advisor. Consequently, several of them are pleading for the appointment of a Minister Delegate for Education in order to come to the aid of the Minister. “If they give him a good delegate minister who takes control, then they can get through it”, estimates a deputy. In the meantime, the minister will have to calm the dialogue with the unions. “Last week, she made two trips to schools and met all the unionsreassures those around him. She was still on Monday afternoon working with the teachers’ unions at the ministry.”
Tuesday, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra was traveling near Reims (Marne) to a school and she is planning a new visit to an establishment for Thursday. “The watchword is immersion in the files and in the field. It’s not because she doesn’t run the plateaus [de télévision] that she is not on the offensive”, adds those around him. The former French tennis hopeful will also try to win back public opinion. According to the Ipsos barometer for January, she is in last position with 6% in the ranking of the best ministers of the new government.