Geoffrey Branger / Photo credit: Xose Bouzas / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
One day, one trip. This is Gabriel Attal’s strategy since his appointment to Matignon. Pas-de-Calais, police stations, schools, hospital… On Saturday, the Prime Minister was traveling to the Dijon University Hospital with his Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin, where he announced an envelope of 32 billion euros over five years to respond to a crisis in the sector. But many projects await Gabriel Attal and his government.
As Emmanuel Macron said before the start of the Council of Ministers on Friday: “Let’s get to work!” And the French agree and hope for results in many areas. Europe 1 went to meet them, to ask them what their priority is. “Purchasing power,” a young woman responds straight away, “because I think it’s more and more difficult for the French and it’s been an absolute emergency for years.” “For retirees, we must increase the pension and above all prevent an increase in the electricity tax,” adds a passerby.
As for this Parisian, she would like the government to prioritize “education, it is the basis of everything and we should start with the youngest. We can clearly see that it is deteriorating.” For this man, the priority would be “security, there is a gap between what the Ministry of the Interior does and the Ministry of Justice.” Finally, “housing. I still find it absurd that people who work cannot find housing,” explains a passerby.
“Today, what is missing is the perspective of a milestone”
Lots of expectations. But for political scientist Jean-Christophe Gallien, before defining his priorities, his first major projects at the head of government, Gabriel Attal must determine the policy he wishes to pursue. “Today, what is missing is to have the perspective of a course, of a direction,” he analyzes. “We saw an association with political figures who come from the right. Does that mean that we are moving towards a center-right, or even right-wing, policy, whereas we were in balance choices which sometimes lost the public a little, that is to say between the left, the right, between liberal and conservative? It is to find a line which today is a little lost, or in any case misused.
According to experts, the Attal government will above all be an electoral combat government with the European elections due next June. Today, the majority is well behind the National Rally in the polls. Gabriel Attal’s number one priority will therefore be to make up for the gap on his competitor Jordan Bardella.