“If France has not entered into coexistence with Michel Barnier, the latter has established an alternation of style”

2024-10-25 03:30:00

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For his part, Michel Barnier, who benefits from a much smaller parliamentary base than that on which Elisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal could count – who are only missing about forty votes –he has chosen for the moment not to rush this Parliament, which can overthrow him at any moment. “I’m listening”repeats the one who destroys communication despite being a skilled communicator himself, making us forget that at times he appears rigid, even fragile.

The Prime Minister, who still enjoys a fair amount of popularity, even if he has lost points since his appointment on September 5, is also playing with public opinion, potentially his best ally. Leaving room for debate before using 49.3 allows him to demonstrate the irresponsibility of some deputies, mired in endless arguments and excessive tax increases.

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In the center of the crossfire

Cautiously, he is dancing on a volcano: the first days of parliamentary discussion, such as the vote on positions of responsibility in the Assembly, have shown the fragility of the coalition in power, fractured and full of resentment. The head of the government tried to put things together by going to the party organized on Monday evening at the Ministry of Relations with Parliament, a strange vigil of arms of a heterogeneous group, in no hurry to go into battle together. Every Tuesday he also receives the leaders of the parliamentary groups that are part of the “central bloc”.

But the head of government, who refuses «micromanagement»he takes care not to get too involved in conflicts between groups (in particular between the republican right and the Ensemble pour la République), so as not to weaken his own authority. Playing with time and detachment, Michel Barnier imposes the idea of ​​acting altruistically to remedy the catastrophic situation he inherited. “People say to themselves: “anyway, poor old man, it’s not easy, we have to help him”…” observes a former minister, who considers his strategy intelligent. Tired of tensions, ego games and empty words, the French are for the moment showing a certain leniency towards him, if we are to believe what the deputies of their constituencies report.