Gilles Le Gendre is suspended at the head of the LREM group

Gilles Le Gendre can breathe. Despite a growing mistrust of deputies The Republic is marching towards him, the many grievances expressed Tuesday morning on his management of the group, the president of the majority group in the Assembly retains his post. At least for now. At the meeting by videoconference, which turned to the settlement of accounts, no deputy explicitly asked for his head, referring to the post-reshuffle a possible reorganization of the majority. After the disclosure, Friday, of a confidential note on the reshuffle intended for the president of the Republic, the elected Parisian said "to understand and share the emotion" of his troops."Even if I am not guilty of anything, I feel infinitely indebted to each of you for repairing the bond of trust damaged on this occasion," he defended himself.

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In the said document, Gilles Le Gendre expresses his criticisms of Edouard Philippe and advises Emmanuel Macron to replace him in Matignon, in particular by Jean-Yves Le Drian or Bruno Le Maire. The group president sees himself as the future spokesperson for the government and Minister for Relations with the government, but considers that no Marcheur MP is "credible" for Matignon. Words that ulcerated his troops, already scalded by the lack of political structuring, the weakness of the group vis-à-vis the executive and the creation of dissident groups. "You have the right to criticize me. Nothing is more foreign to me than contempt. The mission that you entrusted to me is of an incredible difficulty ”, he pleaded. Before facing the heavy fire from the deputies, Gilles Le Gendre received the support of the President of the Assembly, Richard Ferrand, who called for "unity and a spirit of benevolence" , warning against the temptation to make "an anecdote a collective drama" .

We are not a sect! Unity and Kindness Must Be Reciprocal

Throughout the weekend, and most often on condition of anonymity, many MPs Marchers demanded the resignation of their group president. “It went up very quickly, very strong, it was epidermal. Then it came back down, ” observes the entourage of Gilles Le Gendre. "We are not a sect!" Unity and kindness must be reciprocal. We have been moving forward for three years but we are inaudible. We are not heard. I have nothing against you, Gilles, or against others, but we must quickly wonder about our mode of operation, ” argued Alain Péréa, LREM deputy from Aude. Former Minister François de Rugy also asked for an “internal group process” to regain “stability and efficiency”. "This note is neither done nor to do, " tackled the deputy and spokesperson, Jean-Baptiste Moreau. What bothers me is that it's the level of commercial coffee! ”

To ask for the change of a prime minister between two crises is to show a lack of political sense, it is even to endanger the President of the Republic

The MPs Marchers obviously did not appreciate that their group president attacked the Prime Minister. "Your note puts a wedge between the group president and the prime minister, at a time when we need to close ranks. I wonder how you can continue in this configuration, " said the chairman of the economic affairs committee, Roland Lescure, " candidate for nothing ", but often cited as a potential successor to Gilles Le Gendre. "To ask for the change of a prime minister between two crises is to show a lack of political sense, it is even to endanger the President of the Republic, because if Édouard Philippe left the government he could be a danger for 2022 ”, observed the deputy François Cormier-Bouligeon.

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"It is difficult to ensure this relationship of trust if you ask for the change of prime minister or members of the government," regretted the deputy and spokesperson Aurore Bergé, calling for "putting everything back on the table in early July in order to assert a political identity ” . Her colleague Anne-Christine Lang went further by explicitly asking for a "renewal of the teams" , and therefore a new election, after the reshuffle. Gilles Le Gendre defended himself from any "hostility" towards Edouard Philippe, in front of whom he had dined the day before, at Matignon. "I have had more welcoming meetings , " euphemized a member of parliament present.