2023-07-22 10:30:03
Emmanuel Macron’s long speech at the opening of the Council of Ministers on Friday July 21 was intended to shed light on the meaning of the ministerial reshuffle that took place the day before. However, it left many questions unanswered. The thesis of ” the continuity “ pleaded by the Head of State, who claims to have a “clear course” – “the independence of the country to consolidate a fairer model” -, is certainly consistent with its decision to keep Elisabeth Borne at Matignon and to opt for a limited redevelopment. However, it does not erase the impression of hesitation born of his lack of enthusiasm to renew his confidence in the one he appointed more than a year ago.
Also read the story: Article reserved for our subscribers Emmanuel Macron sets the tone for his new government: “Come on, now, we are moving forward. You roll! »
Even more symptomatic, the introductory remarks of the Head of State looked more like a progress report than a projection into the future, not that the subjects to be dealt with are not named: debt reduction, immigration, the response to urban riots, ecological planning, drought… Simply, the order of priorities to be dealt with is still missing.
One can conceive that a busy international agenda pushes Emmanuel Macron to devote part of his vacation to developing a more precise response to complex subjects, but the difficulty he is having in closing the “hundred days” which were conceived as an attempt to regain control from the consensual concept of “sovereignty” is indicative of a more structural difficulty: the Macronist project of 2017 was a promise of growth, emancipation and progress. Six years later, he comes up against a less rosy reality and anxiety-provoking prospects.
Ecological anxiety on the left, identity on the right
“Efficacy” demanded by the Head of State from the Borne 3 government, after the departure of ministers from civil society, refers to the obvious: the government is struggling to convince the French that ” progress “ is working. The pension reform has left its mark, but it is not the only cause. Essential areas of public action: education, health, police, justice are under construction, without substantial improvements being yet visible. The more time passes, the more Emmanuel Macron is forced to admit that only the long term will perhaps make it possible to do him justice. In the meantime, it is on very concrete difficulties such as poor access to care or the delays in justice that the National Rally thrives.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Reshuffle: eight arrivals for a new government Terminal with a more political profile
The current polarization of the political field refers to two strong anxieties: ecological on the left, identity on the right. To lower the pressure, the presidential majority lacks substance and reserve. In six years, she has not worked on the doctrine nor really squared the territory, so that at the slightest gust she risks finding herself off balance. The confirmation of Elisabeth Borne at Matignon comes as Gérald Darmanin was on the verge of taking her place, in the context of amazement created by the urban riots.
Since the loss of the absolute majority in the National Assembly, the fragility of Macronism has also become that of the President of the Republic, who has reached the end of the seduction operation vis-à-vis the Republicans. The oppositions have become so radicalized that the vote of a motion of censure on the budget or the immigration text is one of the hypotheses that can no longer be excluded. Emmanuel Macron knows it, but he has not found the parade. It is all these weaknesses that jumped out at you this week during what was supposed to be a simple ministerial adjustment.
#Emmanuel #Macron #faced #fragilities #macronism