The Council of Ministers, which is being held this Thursday at 11 a.m., is probably the last bringing together the current Castex government. And, behind the scenes, we are already paying tribute to the tenant of Matignon.
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Funny atmosphere. This Thursday April 28 at 11 a.m. will mark the start of the first Council of Ministers since the re-election of Emmanuel Macron, and the last undoubtedly also for Jean Castex as head of government, after nearly two years at Matignon. The outgoing head of government had indeed declared last Tuesday that he would submit his resignation and that of his government without delay to the Head of State so that “a new phase” opens. Emmanuel Macron, whose current mandate ends on May 13, had indicated in the intervening period that he would take
“a few steps back” in the event of re-election.
Be that as it may, it is indeed a full government that will be at the presidential palace on Thursday morning: ministers, deputy ministers and secretaries of state will all be present. That is 42 people invited… Too many people for the Murat salon, the usual place of the meeting, which will therefore take place in the village hall of the Elysée.
Special atmosphere obliges: the courtyard of the palace will also be exceptionally open to the press for the arrival of the government. Big smiles in perspective under the crackling of flashes before toasting, behind closed doors this time, after the Council of Ministers. The cocktail-lunch is offered by the re-elected President in the presence of Alexis Kohler, the secretary general of the Elysée and Claire Landais, the secretary general of the government.
The occasion for a new tribute from Emmanuel Macron to Jean Castex, which he described as “a kind-hearted man with a social fiber“: “Jean Castex came from the right; he led one of the most social policies of the last decades, because he is also a man of heart and he has social fiber“, slipped the head of state. “He did the job“, underline the ministers in unison. And an adviser to complete: “Loyal to the end“.
Jean Castex must now submit his resignation in the coming days: potentially from Friday April 29, according to a government source, but more likely at the start of next week.
And what about his likely replacement? Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that the Prime Minister he would appoint to replace Jean Castex would be “qsomeone who is attached to the social question, to the environmental question and to the productive question“.