Midnight spent, in the night from Sunday to Monday, at the Colombe-Niemeyer, the trendy restaurant-bar planted in the heart of Le Havre. A glass in hand, Edouard Philippe strolls among his family, the "light heart" is said, and with a good word for each of his running mate whom he invited to spend the rest of the evening in the presence of their spouses . Almost a hundred people in all, massed in the chic and cozy decor of this Le Havre institution. We also meet Edith, his wife, and their three children. A few hours earlier, the Prime Minister saw his list largely re-elected in the second round (58.83%) of municipal elections. Bet won. A defeat, and his fate at Matignon would have been immediately decided.
So this victory is well worth a few hours of letting go before resuming the road to the capital early the next morning. Does he evoke in the midst of this joyful crowd these rumors of reshuffle rustling in all of Paris? "Honestly, I don't think anyone dared to tell him about it. It was not the moment. And that would have been extremely rude, ”said one participant.
Will leave? Will not leave? “At this point, it's 50/50. There are as many good reasons to keep it as to separate from it, ”deciphers a strategist of the majority. "The president will choose the best prime minister possible based on the project. It will be the what before the who, ”insists for his part an adviser to the Elysée Palace. Monday morning, the tête-à-tête between the two men, just before the Citizen's Climate Convention, did not go to the end of the subject. According to our information, they even planned to meet again this Wednesday evening, or so tomorrow.
Council of Ministers this Friday
“They have to talk to each other, they have to see each other. The president has not completely decided on his choices, ”we confess. Some suggest the possibility that the decision will be taken before Sunday morning, and the installation of the new municipal council in Le Havre scheduled at 10 am. But others do not rule out that the suspense will last a few days, despite the cabinet meeting on Friday. One thing is certain, however: "By next Wednesday, we can reasonably think that we will have a new government," says a close to the president.
The list of applicants to replace Édouard Philippe has narrowed down in recent days. "The Drian still had his chances before the municipal elections, but the shift to the right of Lorient, his former political stronghold, weakened him", considers a heavyweight in macronie. "We must remain calm," insists the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in private, in the face of incessant rumors. "But there is no one who is more popular, more solid, more loyal, more appreciated in the majority than Edouard Philippe, defends an LREM deputy. While Le Drian, we don't know him. He never comes to group meetings. ” Others also evoke a surprise from the chef: “When Macron appointed Philippe in 2017, no one saw him coming. He may still surprise us, ”continues a senator.
And the fate of the other ministers is hardly more precise. Could the defeat of some of them on Sunday evening hinder their chance of being renewed? “The president will not sanction those who have been beaten. They took a risk, in a particular context. It was rather courageous on their part ”, estimates an adviser ministerial. Even if in recent days, the internal loops are overheated to try to find out who will be affected by this reshuffle supposed to give new life to the majority.
Jean-Louis Borloo's name keeps coming up
Among the names currently tested to enter, that of the MoDem Laurence Wisniewski and Jean-Luc Bourlanges, the former minister of Jacque Chirac Anne-Marie Couderc, but also the Franco-Ivorian Tidjane Thiam, former director of Credit Suisse, and close to Thierry Breton. The name of Jean-Louis Borloo also comes up regularly. “It is on all sides to send signals. Macron needs figures, personalities who also embody ecology. Jean-Louis fills these two boxes ”, wants to believe one of his supporters.
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There remains one final point: the moment planned by the Head of State to present to the French the conclusions of all his consultations, and the concrete course of the months to come. "We have four or five hypotheses on the table," recognizes his entourage. In particular that of a televised intervention Sunday evening or a large press conference in the course of next week. “The noose is tightening in every way, summarizes the Elysée. We are in the money time ”.
