The long wait for the ministerial reshuffle will not have resulted in good news for digital players. While professional unions have long called for a full-fledged minister for their sector, they are, on the contrary, witnessing a downgrading. Marina Ferrari succeeds Jean-Noël Barrot with a change of title. While the latter was Minister Delegate since July 2022, she was appointed “Secretary of State for Digital”.
Digital technology is thus relegated to 31st protocol rank at the end of the list of a government which has 35 ministers and secretaries of state. Beyond the symbol, this change of function can have an impact when it comes to defending one’s files during political arbitrations. As with her predecessor, Marina Ferrari is attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, headed by the inevitable Bruno Le Maire.
A MoDem replaces a MoDem
It is above all the pedigree of Marina Ferrari which risks making digital professionals cringe. A graduate of the Institute of Advanced International Studies (IHEI) and holder of a DEA in law – international relations and defense option, the 50-year-old Savoie MP does not have any particular knowledge of the world of tech.
Evil tongues will argue that his MoDem label weighed on his appointment, the president of the party, François Bayrou, demanding four positions in the new government. Jean-Noël Barrot and Marina Ferrari are elected from the centrist party. According to Release, the two politicians reversed their portfolios in the last half hour. Marina Ferrari being approached for Europe, a position ultimately occupied by… Jean-Noël Barrot.
Until now secretary of the Finance Committee, her only line on her CV is experience of around ten years (from 2013 to 2022) as administrative and human resources manager within Lunabee Studio. This mobile application publisher’s main achievement is to have developed TousAntiCovid. Context specifies that she was also charged in November, as an MP, with a temporary mission on rental taxation concerning accommodation platforms such as Airbnb.
“ Without any false modesty, I didn’t expect it at all » declared the new Secretary of State for Digital Dauphiné Libéré. On surith determination and humility the projects undertaken by Jean-Noël Barrot, Cédric O and Mounir Mahjoubi »his predecessors in the position who had more “technological” profiles.
What about telecoms?
In any case, there is no shortage of hot files on his desktop. Marina Ferrari will have to save the SREN bill, aimed at securing and regulating the digital space, strongly criticized by the European Commission. Still in Brussels, she will have to make France’s voice heard to modulate the future European regulation on artificial intelligence (AI Act) during technical meetings. Validated in December, the text is not unanimous, to say the least, within French Tech.
On the other hand, what about telecoms? Jean-Noël Barrot had the digital transition and telecommunications in his fold. Who owns this telecoms sector? Is it part of the scope of Marina Ferrari, who mentioned in her tweet very high speed for all? According to Context who interviewed his office, Jean-Noël Barrot “ will always follow digital subjects… among other European subjects “. Which further adds to the confusion.
Cousin of Laurence Ferrari
Marina Ferrari is the niece of Gratien Ferrari, former deputy (RPR, UDF) of Savoie and mayor of Aix-les-Bains between 1985 and 1995. Died in 2015, the latter is the father of Laurence Ferrari, journalist for CNews and Europe 1, of which Marina Ferrari is therefore the first cousin.
Born on October 10, 1973 in Aix-les-Bains, Marina Ferrari started in politics in 2007, as a substitute for candidate Yann Bezat (MoDem) in the first constituency of Savoie. She has been a municipal councilor of Aix-les-Bains since 2008, and vice-president of the Savoie department between 2015 and 2021. She entered the National Assembly on June 22, 2022.