Traveling in the North, Emmanuel Macron continued to maintain the suspense on the date of his entry into the campaign. The president believes that between the health crisis and the diplomatic emergencies, he has too much work to get into the presidential ring. In the meantime, a book bringing together his interviews and forums will be published in the coming days.
The president-candidate hurries slowly. Juliette Gréco’s song “Undress me” fits perfectly with the state of mind of Emmanuel Macron who would have so much to do before embarking on the presidential campaign. “Re-Elysée me, re-Elysée me, yes, but not right away, not too quickly… Know how to desire me, without ‘boring me’ too much…”, he hums hollowly to the tune of the muse. Saint-Germain-des-Prés of the 1960s. In his interview with “La Voix du Nord” published on Wednesday before his trip to Tourcoing, the stronghold of his Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, the Head of State continues his stripping. Candidate without saying so, he arrives with full pockets. An envelope of two hundred million for local communities in the mining area and the Louvre-Lens museum. Before the campaign, the distribution of public funds continues. He is neither the first outgoing president to do so, nor probably the last. After the Creuse, the North before returning to Brittany next week with a detour via the island of Sein.
The 500 sponsorships completed today?
Also in this interview with the regional press (note, it was already in “Le Parisien” that he had expressed his “desire”), the man with three hats (President of the Republic; President of the Council of the European Union and future presidential candidate) wants to demonstrate that he is up to his task. It confirms the choice of Verkor, a French industrial start-up, to set up its electric battery giga-factory in Dunkirk. Coming to Hauts-de-France “first for a site review”, he assures the hand on the heart: “I cannot reasonably explain to the French that I will devote myself to this important democratic time, while I told them that I will be president until the end and that we have a crisis on the Ukrainian border which threatens our collective security”. In short: between the health crisis and the diplomatic emergencies (Ukraine and Mali), Emmanuel Macron has other things to do than go to the countryside. After all, he still has time on paper. The deadline for submitting sponsorships is March 4 at 6 p.m. Already, this is a formality for the Macronist camp. In charge of the collection, the former minister Christophe Castaner carried out his business smoothly. As soon as the collection of signatures opened, the outgoing president had 105 and should probably reach the 500 mark from this Thursday, February 3.
Freed from this mini-constraint, Emmanuel Macron has no reason to rush. And striptease is the art of slowness. The polls are remarkably stable and good. He maintains a six to seven point lead over his pursuers. A bit like François Mitterrand in 1988 on the eve of his re-election. In his time, “Uncle” delayed his opponents until the end by launching 33 days before the first. At the Elysée, several relatives of the head of state revere the former socialist president enough not to take him as a model. To hear his relatives, his campaign team would be ready. Refined behind the scenes by his faithful Alexis Kohler in the greatest secrecy, the program would also be completed. There would therefore be nothing left but to press the button after a few adjustments and a possible reshuffle among the ministers concerned by the operational campaign. Last reason: the spectacle of his opponents, bogged down in a flat campaign and who are crying out for Emmanuel Macron to get into the ring, would rather encourage him to make them hang out. And to postpone the moment of the assault.
A book bringing together his interviews and forums published on February 17
For the time being, the “favorite” in the polls does not intend to launch before one or two weeks. “He alone knows the date,” admits a minister who is more interested in the content of the reasons for his candidacy than in the date of the announcement. In the meantime, his supporters will be able to wait by re-reading his forums and interviews published in the magazines “Zadig” and “1” before and during his mandate. This collection book is published by Aube editions. A 140-page booklet titled “France as seen by Emmanuel Macron”. The president authorized its publication on February 17 but did not wish to write a preface. It is therefore not a campaign book but a means of preparing the battle for a second five-year term. The presidential stripping continues.
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