"National Union, my butt! Chokes a macronie advisor. The atmosphere in the majority took on Monday, false airs of cohabitation in the open air, with a president and a Prime Minister seeming to contradict themselves before the eyes of the French. The grain of sand that stopped the machine? The presentation of the deconfinement plan by Edouard Philippe this Tuesday at 3 p.m. in front of the National Assembly, followed by a vote. A decision acted on Saturday to everyone's surprise, which made the opposition scream. Which claims loudly twenty-four hours more to digest the announcements and speak out in conscience.
It all starts on Monday morning when relatives and regular interlocutors of the president indicate that he would prefer that MPs have one more day to vote. What the Elysée denies, officially. "Emmanuel's concern is to build a united France in the fight against the virus," said one of his intimate friends, who said he was worried about a fracturing of society and anxious not to add more division by putting opposition to opposition.
“He must have received around fifteen texts from deputies who speak to him live, to tell him that they were told about this voting story. Learning this in the middle of a weekend is lunar! We take our feet all alone in the carpet, “grumbles a minister.
"Before, it was unspoken, there it is consumed"
"There is a hiccup, a divergence between the president and the Prime Minister. Before, it was unspoken, there it is consumed. Macron does not want to direct opposition on a simple question of form (Editor's note: a vote) ", argues an important macronist. Another completes, in an arrow dropped to Edouard Philippe, a loyal Alain Juppé: "Reinventing yourself is not resuscitating the law in your boots!" "
At the same time, at the Hôtel de Lassay, the conference of the presidents of the Assembly, which fixes the work schedule of the deputies every week, decides: no postponement of the vote, in accordance with Matignon's wish. The bosses of the opposition groups, Jean-Christophe Lagarde (UDI), Valérie Rabault (PS) or Damien Abad (LR) rebelled, refusing to vote "blindfolded". "It is a real contempt, worse than at the time of the Second Empire! »Storm André Chassaigne (PCF).
In the closed-door meeting, surging, Richard Ferrand corrects: “The Assembly is not devalued! The Prime Minister could have held a press conference instead of coming before us. Some regretted that the announcements do not arrive until the beginning of May, we cannot complain that they arrive at the end of April. And the entourage of the President of the Assembly to underline that "to postpone is not legally possible".
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A minister, dismayed, almost smiles: "That Macron asked for a postponement, without knowing that it was not legally possible, this is his type. The grocery business goes beyond him. "
"Capital bullshit"
That does not prevent an enormous anger, including in the ranks of the majority. "This is capital bullshit, a political mistake at the moment when we seek to make unity in the midst of a crisis. What did it cost? Nothing ! "Echoes a very close to the president. François Bayrou himself, rarely in disagreement with Emmanuel Macron, does not understand. A regular at the Elysée has fun, in "Tontons flingueurs" mode, from Edouard Philippe's resistance: "The cellar is rebiffing! "
In Matignon, we do not budge: faced with the virus, time is short. Initially, we did not wait for the deconfinement plan before the end of this week, or even the beginning of the next. But on the political level, it was urgent to put an end to the hiccups that enamelled last week, marked by unprecedented contradictions between the Elysée and Matignon. "There is a little battle, it did not escape you. Philippe wants to go out with his head held high, "deciphers a government adviser.
As of Friday, Matignon discreetly passed on the message that the weekend would be studious: the directors of cabinet were invited to final ministerial arbitration meetings. As early as Sunday, Edouard Philippe started writing his speech, alone in his office, after speaking with Olivier Véran (Health), Richard Ferrand, the head of the MoDem deputies Patrick Mignola or François Bayrou. A discourse "of truth" in which he will ask the French "discipline", "solidarity" and "prudence", according to Matignon, who presents it more as a general framework than as a detailed text in order to respect the elected officials, responsible for apply. He will also receive them from Wednesday morning with the ministers Jacqueline Gourault and Sébastien Lecornu, before speaking in the evening with the prefects and Thursday with the social partners.
"Philippe does not want to leave with the feeling of having been humiliated"
If Edouard Philippe switched to turbo, it is also for public health reasons. “We don't have six months before us to enforce local health regulations. We must allow the mayors to do their job! Insists a government source, who stresses that it is necessary, for example, to launch the heavy logistics of distributing so-called "general public" masks in pharmacies.
We must also develop communication around deconfinement, which will be very progressive. The government is thus preparing information campaigns with practical tutorials, starting next week, to explain in particular when and how to put on your mask safely. No question, therefore, of losing twenty-four hours so precious.
Monday afternoon, putting aside the tensions, the president and the Prime Minister, accompanied by Mr. Deconfinement Jean Castex, Olivier Véran and their right arms Alexis Kohler and Benoît Ribadeau-Dumas, found themselves at length in the Murat lounge of the Elysée for the final arbitrations. They will be detailed on Tuesday in the Council of Ministers, then at a lunch of the members of the majority in Matignon, before the Prime Minister's speech at 3 p.m. in the hemicycle.
Placed under strong pressure by the president, Edouard Philippe was keen to show that he was there. Better, ahead of time. And this, when part of the macronie prepares his succession and counts the days before his departure. "Who can doubt Edward's loyalty? defends a faithful. If the French can be sure of one thing, it is that. "A minister concluded:" He does not want to leave with the feeling of having been humiliated. "