When will the composition of the new government be announced? If he does not specifically answer this question, Jean Castex, interviewed by the JDD Sunday July 5, ensures that " the faster the better ". " We are working very hard ," he even says.
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Regarding the personalities who will be chosen to compose this team, the new Prime Minister wants to be firm: “ The composition of my team will correspond to the priorities that we set for ourselves; it is not a casting, it is a political choice and it must meet a skill requirement ”. And to give, indirectly, an indication of what this government might look like when asked about the possibility of forming a tight team: “ Let us not get lost in structural matters. I am not sure that too large perimeters are necessarily the guarantee of greater efficiency. "
The new tenant of Matignon will also join La République en Marche, a few days after leaving Les Républicains to join Emmanuel Macron. " I am not very attached to party affairs but it seems natural to me to be unambiguously part of the majority movement which supports the action of the president," he explains. The most important is my relationship with the parliamentary majority. Whoever agrees to become prime minister is, by vocation, the leader of the majority ”.
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A majority leader who intends to fully play his role, within the framework set by the institutions. " The Head of State sets the course, the Prime Minister ensures its implementation in agreement with the parliamentary majority ", he assures, before refuting the term " collaborator ", which he considers " pejorative " . He warns: "It is not the intention of the Head of State to make me a subordinate dedicated to secondary tasks. When you get to know me, you will see that my personality is not soluble in the term of collaborator. ”
Respect the President's commitments and adapt to the crisis
Jean Castex, who says he is very attached to " dialogue ", defines the " new path " mentioned by Emmanuel Macron and for which he will be responsible. " It is not a question of going back on the commitments of the President of the Republic and the promise of a labor society," he warns. (…) But the fact is that the epidemic has changed everything. France is faced with two challenges: the health crisis (…); the reconstruction of our economy and the protection of the French ”.
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For the head of government, we must " initiate an economic and social recovery ". The opportunity for those who define themselves as a " social Gaullist " to recall their fundamentals: " Before the epidemic, our results against unemployment were very encouraging, among the best in Europe. Ecology remains at the heart of our concerns. The preservation of republican order and daily security are not negotiable. "
Ecology "is not an option"
The Prime Minister takes over the reins of government in the aftermath of the good environmental results in the municipal elections. Emmanuel Macron himself made announcements to meet the expectations of the French in this area. Should this new stage in the quinquennium mark a turning point? “ Acting for the environment is not an option, it is an obligation. If there is a turning point, I would like it in execution and realization. The French know the urgency of the subject but they have the feeling that we are lagging behind, ”explains Jean Castex.
And to announce the first courses of action: “ The previous government had initiated a method which seems to me to be good, but which must be accelerated from the territories and the experiences which work. We will list with local actors everything that we can do immediately: fight against leaks in water networks, against artificialisation of land, for thermal insulation, photovoltaic roofs, cleaning of rivers, cycle paths, the fight against waste, short circuits, animal welfare ... "