Jacques Serais / Photo credit: Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP
Several changes took place this Thursday in the government team. Thus, Gabriel Attal replaces Pap Ndiaye at National Education, Aurélien Rousseau succeeds François Braun at the Ministry of Health and Aurore Bergé enters a government that Marlène Schiappa therefore leaves. A very technical redesign, but rich in lessons.
The long-awaited reshuffle therefore took place this Thursday afternoon. But apart from National Education, where Gabriel Attal replaces Pap Ndiaye, it is difficult to see a big upheaval there. At the end of this very technical reshuffle, which saw Aurélien Rousseau succeed François Braun at the Ministry of Health or even Aurore Bergé enter the government (at the Ministry of Solidarity), we can speak of a government which is part of the continuity of the previous one.
But these changes still reveal the tension between the Elysée and Matignon. The Head of State wanted to replace a few ministers, while Elisabeth Borne was pushing for a major reshuffle in order to make an impression. In the end, it was neither one nor the other, as if there had been a compromise between Emmanuel Macron and his Prime Minister.
“It’s not very respectful of the function or of the people”
If the balances are maintained, the method interrogates. In particular this great leak in the dropper in the press. “It’s not very respectful neither of the function nor of the people”, squeaks a minister. This standoff at the top of the state was, among other things, demonstrated by the appointment of the new Minister of Health. Elisabeth Borne pleaded for the departure of François Braun but Emmanuel Macron did not hear it that way. The Head of State therefore set a condition: that this ministry be returned to Aurélien Rousseau who had just slammed the door of Matignon where he held the position of chief of staff to the Prime Minister.
Among the other lessons to be learned, it is difficult not to mention the failure of ministers from civil society. Pap Ndiaye and François Braun have thus been replaced on the one hand by the very political Gabriel Attal and on the other by the very technocrat Aurélien Rousseau. This reshuffle finally reveals the hesitations of the president who, after having procrastinated for a long time on keeping Elisabeth Borne, does not appear convinced by his own casting. We still do not know when he will choose to address the French when a speech was announced around July 14 for the end of the famous 100 days.