“Profound meaning of the government’s action” and angry subjects… During his press conference at the Elysée, Emmanuel Macron wants to explain himself to the French

The Head of State will give a press conference on Tuesday evening, a new stage in what he calls his “meeting with the Nation” which began with the wishes of December 31. He had not exercised since 2019.

A few days after the government reshuffle, Emmanuel Macron regains control. The meeting has been set: the Head of State will hold a press conference on Tuesday January 16 at 8:15 p.m., the Elysée announced on Sunday. After a difficult year 2023, marked by pension reform and the delicate adoption of the immigration bill, the Head of State intends to clarify his course for the months to come, the priorities and “the deep meaning of the action for the new government”according to the terms used by the president’s entourage.

Emmanuel Macron will undoubtedly decline the concepts already launched in his wishes of December 31: economic rearmament, rearmament of the State and public services, civic rearmament. Ideas that the president will begin to develop the day before. At 7:30 p.m., Monday January 15, he receives all the deputies and senators of his majority at the Élysée. It is a moment of conviviality in this month of January, but also of projection on the rest of the parliamentary calendar. Emmanuel Macron also wants “exchange and listen“elected officials,” his entourage told franceinfo, knowing that this majority was weakened by the episode of the immigration law, the final version of which leans too far to the right for the tastes of MoDem and the left wing of Renaissance.

Questions on angry topics

“Team cohesion” atmosphere Monday evening therefore, before a completely different tone, during this press conference at the Elysée. If we do not yet know the exact format, the presidential press will try to ask the annoying questions: in particular on the new government which tends to lean to the right, on the meaning of the recruitment of Rachida Dati or even on the Minister of ‘Education who prefers to educate their children in the private sector.

A meeting all the more anticipated since Emmanuel Macron has not undergone such an exercise since 2019 in the midst of the “yellow vest” crisis. Big difference, the time of this meeting: 8:15 p.m., prime time on the television channels – the continuous news channels as well as France 2 and TF1 will notably rebroadcast it. It is the choice of the Élysée which wants to reach the widest possible audience. It remains to be seen whether many French people will want to listen to the president for at least two hours.

Stand out from your Prime Minister

According to Philippe Moreau-Chevrolet, president of the communications agency MCBG Conseil, the objective is also to “re-presidentialize” and return to the classics of presidential communication. “He must distinguish himself from his Prime Minister since today he has, unlike previously, an extremely media-focused Prime Minister who has gone on the offensive, a bit like Nicolas Sarkozy,” exhibits on franceinfo Philippe Moreau-Chevrolet.

“In a context where it is his second term, there is a lot of talk about 2027, he needs to normalize a little, he needs to re-presidentialize himself, he needs to regain a little bit of media power, he continues. The press conference is a way of saying: ‘I have a Prime Minister, but be careful, there is only one president, it’s me'”.