Shortly after Emmanuel Macron’s re-election on April 24, 2022, France 2 broadcast the captivating documentary hundred days on the first weeks of a newly elected president. Nicolas Sarkozy notably poured out on the collision between his private life since he divorced Cécilia Attias shortly after his accession to power, his status as president. Former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe frankly told him about his physical condition at the time of his appointment as head of government in 2017.
Unknown to the general public before the election of Emmanuel Macron, Edouard Philippe, LR mayor of Le Havre at the time and aged 46, was chosen to lead the executive. Once is not custom, a personality who does not come from the majority, LREM in this case, is appointed to the post of Prime Minister. With great sincerity, he explains in front of the camera his condition when he heard the news: “Something is happening to me. I don’t know if it happened to my predecessors, I’m seized with a panic, physical fear. In the week leading up to my appointment, I lost six or seven kilos in one week so much I was anxious about this possibility.”
Becoming head of government, a position that could not be more stressful. While carrying out his duties, he also faced another physical manifestation that is difficult not to link to the stress of his job: his vitiligo which gradually whitened his entire beard, which earned him a lot of comments but which he always assumed. Then replaced by Jean Castex in 2020, the politician has since continued on his way by founding his own party, Horizons. A 51-year-old senior civil servant, the husband of Edith Fabre claims his cordial but not close relationship with the President of the Republic, whom he knew so little before entering the government. Reports which are however complicated with the approach of the legislative ones.
Indeed, the Horizons movement says itself “surprised” not to have more “discussion” with its majority partners in view of the legislative elections of June 12 and 19, some of its executives deplored to AFP, after a political office. “The discussion with the majority partners, which we requested, did not take place. We are surprised. And we wait for it to happen“, said a member of Horizons. In the background, the recurring tensions between Edouard Philippe and Emmanuel Macron are emerging, which nevertheless seemed to be put on hold during the presidential election, the mayor of Le Havre having notably welcomed the candidate president in his stronghold of Le Havre between the two towers.