The new government team has been long overdue, and must be unveiled four days after the appointment of Elisabeth Borne to Matignon: the new government will be announced Friday, May 20 afternoon, announces the Elysée. “We are not going to put pressure on ourselves, we want the best team” warned the Prime Minister… “It takes time” confirmed Emmanuel Macron. Why so long, and what got stuck?
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First, there is not enough renewal, and refusals have multiplied. People in the private sector, in particular, who are reluctant to see their salaries drastically reduced. Then, the filter of the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP), with files that get stuck, but also potential candidates who wince at the idea of seeing their lives dissected: their salary, that of their spouse or spouse, their assets – investments, real estate –, even the number of their cars… Finally, because there are too many candidates, not enough candidates: many men wanted to be renewed.
It is also a problem of government architecture, the classic war of perimeters: which sector in which ministry. The discussions were nourished, in particular around Bercy. And then there is the question of the “coach” himself, Emmanuel Macron: “He started after the appointment of Elisabeth Borne on Monday, he did not take care of it before”, whispers an adviser.
Consequence: the council of ministers scheduled for this morning is postponed to Monday. It was however announced in the cabinets, according to information from franceinfo, with only one point on the agenda: the international situation. It was canceled by a call last night from the general secretariat of the government.
In the cabinets, the atmosphere is affected. The panel ranges from boredom to depression, especially through a lot of anxiety. An adviser describes: there are those who are already leaving for other positions in the administration or the private sector, and those who stay. “We finish the boxes, we tour the offices, many watch the continuous news channels… They take away our supplies, papers or envelopes… Worse: we keep receiving emails asking us to return laptops, tablets, phones.” The line of a minister was even cut by mistake…
And then there are these injunctions that hurt: “No more driver, order from the hierarchy”… “Think about registering with Pôle Emploi”… “It’s a period of absolute torture with often painful ministers”, concludes this source… Another adviser, more confident about his future, positive: his thing for killing time, “drink beers on terraces with colleagues from other firms”.