The Minister of National Education draws jeers and criticism for tweets deemed inappropriate at a time when the country is plunged into a deadly conflict.
Next to the plate, the Minister of National Education? While Russia has been attacking Ukraine since Thursday, Jean-Michel Blanquer is looking elsewhere. Towards the round ball, first. On Friday, UEFA, the major body in European football, decided to relocate the Champions League final to the Stade de France, when it was originally scheduled for Saint Petersburg, Russia. A reaction to the invasion of Ukraine the day before by Vladimir Putin.
Blanquer, as Minister of National Education, Youth but also Sports, splits a tweet in stride. “Welcome to the Champions League”, rejoices without embarrassment the minister, before deleting after his tweet shortly after in the face of numerous criticisms.
Rebelote this Saturday morning. The Ukrainian capital, Kiev, fought all night not to fall into Russian hands. Blanquer, he shares on Twitteran op-ed by Jean-Pierre Obin, a former Inspector General, fervent defender of secularism, published in point. The author of a report noted in 2004 on the “signs and manifestations of religious affiliation” at school call the “republican left” to vote Emmanuel Macron in April.
Blanquer jubilant. “The Republic, secularism, and quite simply freedom, equality, fraternity, at the base of the work accomplished by the President of the Republic and the support that can be given to him”, he trumpeted, like a good lay missionary. If it is logical that the drama unfolding in Eastern Europe does not make all the other subjects disappear, the discrepancy with the comments made on public networks by the French minister will not help to improve his image already largely dented.
“He is on another planet”
A favorite of the President since his election, the former rector has gradually drawn criticism from his colleagues in the government, but especially from the teaching world. At the start of the school year, he had thus announced the health protocol, which is particularly heavy for teachers and parents of students, from Ibiza. The outcry was immediate and lasted several days.
His crusade against “Wokism”, a “doctrine” which French youth must escape at all costs, also has the gift of annoying. His record on rue de Grenelle, from the duplication of classes in priority education to the reform of the baccalaureate is also called into question. In a report submitted last Wednesday, three senators severely correct the Blanquer copy. “The implementation of the reforms gives the impression of a public policy carried out in haste, with poorly accompanied implementation, they cross out. Many objectives have not been achieved, leading to a feeling of “navigating by sight”, “generations of guinea pig students” or [de] disappointment for the teaching staff.
“He is on another planet, he moves on and does not understand why we can blame him, whispered a ministerial adviser recently. He is first of all an intellectual, he does not have the codes of politics. In the majority, the good student now looks like a drag. It would even be “charred”, said an observer at Release, in January. As the end of the five-year term approaches and a probable pre-campaign reshuffle by Emmanuel Macron, Blanquer is looking for a landing path. The senior official, with no real territorial ties, is thus eyeing a constituency in the Ile-de-France for the legislative elections in June. What to land without too much damage?