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The French do not know his face, but he would be more influential than certain ministers. He is a secret character, installed at the Elysée since 2017, often presented as the “twin” of President Macron, his alter ego from the shadows. On March 30, 2023, “Complementary investigation” paints the portrait of Alexis Kohler. Here is an excerpt.
When we mention his name in front of ministers, it’s always the same compliment that comes back: “ Alexis Kohler is a great servant of the state.” “A saint”, even slips a “walker” from the first hour. But behind the scenes, the secretary general of the Elysée is not unanimous. Before speaking to “Complément d’Enquête”, his detractors demanded the strictest anonymity.
“Kohler is the caricature of the technocrat, confides an influential boss who has the ear of the President. Macron made a serious mistake by letting him extend his hold on politics.” Those who failed in Macronie attribute to him the paternity of unpopular measures such as the abolition of the wealth tax, the maintenance of the carbon tax at the start of the crisis of “yellow vests”, or the idea (finally discarded) pay teachers based on merit. Raising the retirement age to 65 would also be his project…
“He created a vacuum around the President”
In June 2022, disappointed by the results of the legislative elections, certain heavyweights of Macronie no longer hesitate to claim the head of the secretary general of the Elysée. An exceptional thing for this high official who “love the shadows and hate the media”, according to journalist Marc Endeweld, Alexis Kohler then gave an interview lasting more than an hour to the Point. The one whom some elected officials accuse of having “creates a vacuum around the President”, to see her “isolated to better lock it” attempts to minimize its power: “I find it offensive to the President to imagine that he could be under the influence, and it is to misunderstand him otherwise.”
All that Paris has in politics has bet a hundred times on its fall, but Alexis Kohler seems unstoppable. Beyond the crises, Emmanuel Macron has always renewed his confidence in his indispensable gray eminence. Today, his shadow alter ego has a legal storm to face: he is indicted for illegal taking of interests, as part of an investigation into his family and professional ties with the family that controls the shipowner MSC…
Excerpt from “Alexis Kohler, the President’s shadow man”, a document to be seen in “Complementary investigation” on March 30, 2023.
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