An atmosphere as fresh as the snow which dotted the Matignon lawn.
After getting off on the wrong foot, Les Républicains and Gabriel Attal met this Thursday morning, at the latter's request.
For an hour, the new Prime Minister spoke with the president of the Republicans, Éric Ciotti, the leader of the LR senators, Bruno Retailleau, and his counterpart in the Assembly, Olivier Marleix.
In the presence of the Minister for Relations with Parliament, Marie Lebec, defector from the right.
Naturally, the delicate subject of the “
war take
” Dati was invited to the discussion table.
The LRs were awaiting explanations from the man who, during the formation of the new government, had assured Eric Ciotti that there would be no poaching from the right.
“
Gabriel Attal justified himself, certifying that at the time he called him, he did not know about Dati... That it was Emmanuel Macron's idea
,” says one of the participants. .
Contacted by Le Figaro, Matignon remained unreachable Thursday afternoon.
No matter, Ciotti, Retailleau and Marleix made it clear that they would not remain without reacting after the departure of the former president of the party's National Council.
In other words, it will now be more difficult for the government to find a majority by relying on the right.
“
Operation Dati was to weaken us.
We cannot start with a gesture of aggression and request cooperation...
,” warns Bruno Retailleau.
For the rest, he believes, “
we will judge on the evidence
”.
LR’s hostility to “double talk” on immigration
The LRs also recalled their markers on the immigration law by reaffirming their hostility to the “
double language
” of the executive on the subject - wanting a text while waiting for it to be censored by the Constitutional Council.
The Republicans have also renewed their expectation of guarantees on a reform of the AME.
“
We reminded him that it was important to honor the words of those who came before him
,” says Retailleau.
“This commitment will be kept,” Gabriel Attal promised Tuesday, during questions to the government, but without putting forward a timetable or going into detail.
A review of the compensation conditions linked to unemployment is envisaged.
Asked about the priorities of the right, Éric Ciotti said that he wanted order, both in the streets and in public accounts.
“
We generally felt that Gabriel Attal wanted to enrich his general policy declaration... We felt that it was his subject and not ours
,” reports one of the members present.
Finally, the LR parliamentarians understood that there would not be many texts before the European elections next June and that the Macronist power was going to concentrate first on the vote.
Furthermore, adds Bruno Retailleau, Gabriel Attal expressed his “
fear
” of the rise of the National Rally.
“
I took the liberty of telling him: ‘Mr Prime Minister, stop, you yourself are organizing and promoting the face-to-face meeting between your camp and the RN.
This is exactly what you will do at the Europeans.”
»