As has been speculated for weeks, the President Emmanuel Macron He has been waiting for the political course to resume after the Christmas holidays in order to carry out a profound restructuring of the government in order to face the little more than three years remaining in the Elysée Palace mandate with new impetus.
1. Why does Macron forego Borne?
Prime Ministers in France are used as backups for the President of the Republic when their popularity with public opinion declines. With little support for its management at 27% Among the French, Emmanuel Macron has decided to do without an effective technocrat like her Elisabeth Borne, 62 years old, but who did not know how, in his 20 months in Matignon in the National Assembly, he was able to negotiate with the opposition the necessary support to implement the legislative agenda of a government in a parliamentary minority for the first time since Macron took office at the Elysée in May 2017.
Up to 30 no-confidence motions have cornered Bonre in the last year and a half, who has appealed up to 23 times on the controversial Article 49.3 of the Constitution, This allows the government to approve its initiatives by decree without a parliamentary vote.
“Your work serving our nation has been exemplary every day. You have led our project with the courage, commitment and determination of stateswomen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” the French president thanked the social network X for its work. .
2. What is the reason for the government's unpopularity?
The year 2023 was not very satisfactory for Macron. The pension reformThe law raising the retirement age in France from 62 to 64 was passed by decree despite widespread discontent among some French people on the streets who saw the text as an attack on the welfare state they had enjoyed since the start of the Second War . The street unrest that devastated the country before the summer also distressed a government poised to turn the tide.
Finally, approval is given by a restrictive immigration law with the voices of the moderate right and the extreme right taking up old demands Marine Le Pen The national preference for access to public assistance capped a year of dissatisfaction with those who said they were neither right nor left.
3.
Who are the favorites to succeed Borne?
The favorites to become the next Prime Minister of France are the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sebastien Lecornu37 years old, former Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, 43 years old, and the Minister of Education, Gabriel Attal, only 34 years old, whose future has been the subject of intense speculation in the last few hours.
4. What happens to the government heavyweights?
Other key positions are also subject to uncertainty.
The Interior Minister, Gerald DarmaninThe 41-year-old right-winger, who spearheaded immigration reform but burned his fingers when it was initially rejected by Parliament, was considered a candidate for a new job, possibly as foreign minister. However, recent reports suggest he may remain in office.
The future of the Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, has also been the subject of speculation. In fact, the appointments that the head of French diplomacy had planned for this week have been suspended.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, the only senior minister to hold the post since Macron's election in 2017, is likely to remain in office.
Macron likes it “Keep all options open until the last moment”says a source close to the Elysée.
5.
What challenges await the government?
The European elections on June 9 will be Macron's first electoral test two years after his re-election. The president is determined to reverse the polls to prevent a repeat of the far right's electoral victory in 2019, when Le Pen's party won its first national election.
On the other hand, the French President hopes that the… Olympic Games in Pariswhich will take place from July 26th to August 11th, will be an organizational success and will help improve France's image abroad.