The impression remains that we have changed the musical chairs between 2012 and 2022, that is to say the ten years of the policy in haus.

After the story of Manuel Valls, in 2012, when he found a way to chase the poor homeless from one sidewalk to another, as President Emmanuel Macron said, « cross the street and find work ».

Let’s return to today’s news with a minister who will have the same hostile and disapproving attitudes towards the ordinary man?

Two former Prime Ministers, Élisabeth Borne and Manuel Valls, a right-wing Retailleau-Darmanin tandem at the Interior and Justice, and François Rebsamen and Juliette Méadel for the left wing: François Bayrou’s government was announced on Monday, eagerly awaited in an Assembly without a majority.

The team of 35 members, including 18 women, includes four ministers of state, including two former tenants of Matignon: Élisabeth Borne takes charge of National Education, while Manuel Valls inherits the explosive Overseas dossier, with the situation in Mayotte and New Caledonia as an emergency, and with the rank of number 3 in the government.

But the composition of this government, still oriented to the right and center, has sparked an avalanche of criticism from the left-wing opposition parties, which came out on top in the June legislative elections, and from Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) (far right).

« A far right in power, under the surveillance of the far right, » judged the leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure. A team « full of people disowned at the ballot box and who contributed to sinking our country, » added the leader of the LFI deputies, Mathilde Panot. The leader of the Ecologists, Marine Tondelier, accused the Prime Minister of “indignity”, accusing him of putting himself “in the hands of the extreme right”.

“Fortunately, ridicule does not kill”, because “François Bayrou has brought together the coalition of failure”, quipped the president of the RN, MEP Jordan Bardella.

The director of the Caisse des dépôts et consignations, a public financial institution, Eric Lombard, becomes Minister of Economy and Finance, a crucial position at a time when France is facing one of the worst budgetary crises in its recent history.

As soon as he took office, this economic technician called for “treating our endemic disease, the deficit,” which is expected to peak at 6.1% of GDP in 2024.

François Bayrou was appointed by Emmanuel Macron after lengthy consultations to find a successor to the conservative Michel Barnier, whose minority government was overthrown on December 4 by the combined vote of left-wing and far-right MPs after only three months in office.

The ministers will especially have to urgently prepare a budget for 2025, under pressure from the opposition and the financial markets.

The new entrants

Among the new entrants, Éric Lombard, CEO of the Caisse des Dépôts, has been appointed Minister of the Economy. François Rebsamen, a former minister under François Hollande who has provided critical support to Emmanuel Macron since 2002, inherits Regional Planning and Decentralization.

Another ex-PS, Juliette Méadel has been appointed Minister Delegate for the City.

The Bayrou government also includes 19 reappointed ministers including Sébastien Lecornu (Defense), Jean-Noël Barrot (Foreign Affairs), Annie Genevard (Agriculture) and Rachida Dati (Culture), Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet (Labor and Employment) and Valérie Létard (Housing).

Outgoing ministers are changing portfolios, such as Catherine Vautrin, who is returning to a large Ministry of Health and Labor.

Or Laurent Saint-Martin, who is handing over Public Accounts to a returning Macronist, Amélie de Montchalin.

Laurent Marcangeli, the president of the Horizons deputies, Édouard Philippe’s party, is inheriting the Civil Service, while François Bayrou has entrusted the strategic position of Relations with Parliament to a close friend, MoDem Patrick Mignola.

The new Minister of Sports wants to use Tony Estanguet’s method. Gil Avérous left his place, this Tuesday morning, to Marie Barsacq, the new Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Life. In her handover speech, the former Director of Impact and Legacy within the Paris Olympics Organizing Committee explained that she would use the method learned « alongside Tony Estanguet ». She summed it up as a mixture of audacity and pragmatism « in these complicated budgetary times ». Although she did not make any concrete progress on her future action as minister, « the Universal National Service must be rethought on a new model », she said.

Reactions also from the unions

The reactions go beyond the strict framework of the political environment. The union world has reacted to the Bayrou government. Sophie Vénétitay, the general secretary of the SNES/FSU, the national union of secondary school teachers, is rather skeptical about the appointment of Élisabeth Borne.

« Élisabeth Borne is a former Prime Minister, she is now number 2 in the government. CVs and order on protocol will not do everything in a situation where the school is really in a state of crisis. »

Ludovic Friat, president of the Union syndicale des magistrats believes that many files await Gérald Darmanin, the new Minister of Justice. « The Christmas period is a period full of surprises. Gérald Darmanin is not necessarily the name I expected under the tree, » he says.

« What is certain is that we have many subjects on the table to work on with Gérald Darmanin. We are on an axis that seems firmer, some will say, more repressive, others will say, than the previous one. »

« This is yet another government in the hands of the National Rally, while the majority of voters voted for a republican front against the RN in June and July, and it is still the RN that makes the law, » laments Denis Gravouil, member of the CGT confederal office. At the Ministry of the Economy, François Bayrou appointed Éric Lombard, former CEO of the Caisse des dépôts et consignations. An unknown who will be the guarantor of financial orthodoxy, also adds this CGT executive.

One of the first tasks of this government, the fourth of 2024, will be to pass a budget, while Michel Barnier’s government was overthrown by the National Assembly on the first major financial text, the Social Security Budget.

Bayrou has a historically low popularity rating for taking office, with 66% of French people saying they are unhappy, according to a barometer published on Sunday,

Will the Prime Minister manage to beat the record of his predecessor, Michel Barnier, who was overthrown by the National Assembly on the first major financial text, the Social Security Budget, or in two or three months, we will be erocene without a government?

COMMUNIQUÉ DE LA PRÉSIDENCE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE

La composition du Gouvernement résultant du décret signé ce jour sur la proposition du Premier ministre,
chargé de la planification écologique et énergétique, est la suivante :

• Mme Elisabeth BORNE, ministre d’Etat, ministre de l’éducation nationale, de l’enseignement
  supérieur et de la recherche ;
• M. Manuel VALLS, ministre d’Etat, ministre des outre-mer ;
• M. Gérald DARMANIN, ministre d’Etat, garde des sceaux, ministre de la justice ;
• M. Bruno RETAILLEAU, ministre d’Etat, ministre de l’intérieur ;
• Mme Catherine VAUTRIN, ministre du travail, de la santé, des solidarités et des familles ;
• M. Eric LOMBARD, ministre de l’économie, des finances et de la souveraineté industrielle et
  numérique ;
• M. Sébastien LECORNU, ministre des armées ;
• Mme Rachida DATI, ministre de la culture ;
• M. François REBSAMEN, ministre de l’aménagement du territoire et de la décentralisation ;
• M. Jean-Noël BARROT, ministre de l’Europe et des affaires étrangères ;
• Mme Agnès PANNIER-RUNACHER, ministre de la transition écologique, de la biodiversité, de la
  forêt, de la mer et de la pêche ;
• Mme Annie GENEVARD, ministre de l’agriculture et de la souveraineté alimentaire ;
• M. Laurent MARCANGELI, ministre de l’action publique, de la fonction publique et de la
  simplification ;
• Mme Marie BARSACQ, ministre des sports, de la jeunesse et de la vie associative ;
  Ministres auprès des ministres de plein exercice :
  Auprès du Premier ministre :
• M. Patrick MIGNOLA, ministre délégué chargé des relations avec le Parlement ;
• Mme Aurore BERGE, ministre déléguée chargée de l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes et de
  la lutte contre les discriminations ;
• Mme Sophie PRIMAS, ministre déléguée, porte-parole du Gouvernement ;
  Auprès de la ministre d’Etat, ministre de l’éducation nationale, de l’enseignement supérieur et de la
  recherche :
• M. Philippe BAPTISTE, ministre chargé de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche ;
  Auprès du ministre d’Etat, ministre de l’intérieur :
• M. François-Noël BUFFET ;
  Auprès de la ministre du travail, de la santé, de la solidarité et des familles :
• Mme Astrid PANOSYAN-BOUVET, ministre chargée du travail et de l’emploi ;
• M. Yannick NEUDER, ministre chargé de la santé et de l’accès aux soins ;
• Mme Charlotte PARMENTIER-LECOCQ, ministre déléguée chargée de l’autonomie et du
  handicap ;
  Auprès du ministre de l’économie, des finances et de la souveraineté industrielle et numérique :
• Mme Amélie de MONTCHALIN, ministre chargée des comptes publics ;
• M. Marc FERRACCI, ministre chargé de l’industrie et de l’énergie ;
• Mme Véronique LOUWAGIE, ministre déléguée chargée du commerce, de l’artisanat, des petites et
  moyennes entreprises et de l’économie sociale et solidaire ;
• Mme Clara CHAPPAZ, ministre déléguée chargée de l’intelligence artificielle et du numérique ;
• Mme Nathalie DELATTRE, ministre déléguée chargée du tourisme ;
  Auprès du ministre des armées :
• Mme Patricia MIRALLES, ministre déléguée chargée de la mémoire et des anciens combattants ;
  Auprès du ministre de l’aménagement du territoire et de la décentralisation :
• Mme Valérie LETARD, ministre chargée du logement ;
• M. Philippe TABAROT, ministre chargé des transports ;
• Mme Françoise GATEL, ministre déléguée chargée de la ruralité ;
• Mme Juliette MEADEL, ministre déléguée chargée de la ville ;
  Auprès du ministre de l’Europe et des affaires étrangères :
• M. Benjamin HADDAD, ministre délégué chargé de l’Europe ;
• M. Laurent SAINT-MARTIN, ministre délégué chargé du commerce extérieur et des Français de
  l’étranger ;
• M. Thani MOHAMED SOILIHI, ministre délégué chargé de la francophonie et des partenariats
  internationaux.

Le Président de la République réunira l’ensemble des membres du Gouvernement pour un conseil des
ministres qui se tiendra le 3 janvier à 10h00.

©2024 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

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Gabriel MIHAI

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