New demining operation for Jean-Michel Blanquer. After the historic mobilization in National Education to be heard against the changes in the anti-Covid health protocol at school, Thursday January 13, this time, the minister is at the heart of a new controversy. He was on holiday in Ibiza, in the Balearic Islands (Spain), when he announced the health protocol for the start of the school year, franceinfo learned from the ministry on Monday January 18, confirming information from Mediapart. This new health protocol was unveiled a few hours before the start of the school year, on January 2, in an interview with the Parisian-Today in France. A method of communication already deemed unacceptable by the unions.
Faced with these new turmoil around Jean-Michel Blanquer, the government is trying to calm things down. For example with Clément Beaune, Secretary of State for European Affairs, guest of franceinfo, who recalls the instructions given to members of the government to better defend his colleague: “Jean-Michel Blanquer has not committed any fault. You have to stay in the European area, you have to be reachable absolutely all the time and at work: I believe that was the case with Jean-Michel Blanquer, who worked while on vacation, who by the way, I can vouch for, is not guilty of taking his job lightly and not being at work 100% of the time.”
️ Jean-Michel Blanquer in Ibiza ➡️ Does he remain credible? “Perfectly”, but “I don’t think he should apologize” declares Clément Beaune, Secretary of State for European Affairs
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Elements of language, as the communicators say, already put forward by the advisers to the executive as soon as the information was revealed on Monday evening. “The minister was working remotely, he actually did the video interview, nothing out of the ordinary”, minimizes his entourage to franceinfo. Conclusion of a government source: “Storm in a glass of water, beware of hyper-populism”.
Still, the minister is still weakened, after an already rough last week. Monday: Jean Castex is at 8 p.m. to announce yet another change in protocol announced by Jean-Michel Blanquer. Thursday: meeting with the unions, also chaired by the Prime Minister, at the Ministry of Education. Friday: exercise of contrition by the Minister of National Education on franceinfo: “I’m not perfect, I made mistakes, I’m sorry“.
Beyond the elements of language, in “off”, the tongues begin to loosen.
Besides, Matignon knew he was in Ibiza. Jean-Michel Blanquer left on December 28, after the Health Defense Council and the exceptional Council of Ministers the day before to which Emmanuel Macron himself was connected remotely, from Fort Brégançon, and after passing in the morning of franceinfo the same morning.
Thus, Matignon was informed but has nothing “valid“: “We did not discover the destination yesterday” do we confirm behind the scenes at the Prime Minister, and “we didn’t wait until yesterday either to think it wasn’t a good idea“. Clearly: the message had been passed to the Minister of Education, but nothing succeeded in dissuading him. “He would have gone to Brittany, the protocol would have been the same, but not the result in terms of symbol”, deplores an adviser to the executive. “And some symbols can be powerful” he sighs.
At the top of the state, we are now waiting to see how long the zone of turbulence will last: “We would have done well without it,The oppositions which were already demanding his resignation have one more argument”; “We have already seen embers go out in two days but theto, that’s for sure, we have at least enough for the day“Thursday’s mobilization risks being “galvanized“, we fear.
Announcing the school protocol from Ibiza is not “symbolically not clever”, recognizes a government adviser, while another has a much harder tooth: for him, no doubt, Jean-Michel Blanquer is “burnt”.
Note that Emmanuel Macron is keeping a safe distance from the fire: “No comment” of the Elysée while last Wednesday, in the Council of Ministers, the Head of State had thanked Jean-Michel Blanquer for his mobilization, just like that of Jean Castex.
Jean Michel Blanquer will be Tuesday afternoon on the bench in the National Assembly, in the front line to respond to the attacks which will not fail to be launched during questions to the government. If last week Jean Castex had largely played the firewall, this seems less the case today.