Three years that he left the government because of business of the European parliamentary assistants of the MoDem. Three years, spent between his town hall of Pau and the headquarters of his party of which he is president, made of regular exchanges with Emmanuel Macron, but without an official role within the executive. On the eve of the start of the school year, François Bayrou is preparing to make his comeback on the national scene. As announced on Monday by France Inter, he must be appointed High Commissioner for Planning between mid and late September. The principle had been recorded even before the reshuffle of July, which was to dissociate this appointment.
Focus on the world after, the reconstruction of the country, carry out medium and long-term prospective work, which is embodied politically and no longer the sole prerogative of government agencies? The president converted to the idea, while the Covid-19 crisis shook everything. François Bayrou has been arguing for years for the rehabilitation of this somewhat forgotten post, the first in which was Jean Monnet - which the centrist likes to mention. "It is he who thought it, who sold it," says a Macronist. An independent authority, which would not participate in the Council of Ministers, compatible with the function of mayor, with a small team. Tailor-made, in short.
In the eyes of François Bayrou, the High Commissioner for Planning must also be directly attached to the Elysee, a guarantee of autonomy and freedom. "It is necessary (that this body) is independent of the government and the Parliament, bringing to the two, attached to the one who is the guarantor of the long term, the President of the Republic himself, so that he protects it and relays his assignments ", He wrote in 2017, in his book" French Resolution ". This is also a way of keeping a direct link with the head of state and responding only to him.
The risk of an bis Prime Minister
But if it is noted that the High Commission for Planning will not pilot the Investments for the Future Program (PIA), the issue of attachment to the Elysee or Matignon is still under discussion. “It would signify a weakening of the Prime Minister. Jean Castex must be careful not to put into orbit an bis Prime Minister who would have the advantages, without the disadvantages, ”observes a Macronist. Except that, defends a framework of the Modem, "Matignon, for Bayrou, it is precisely the place of the daily management".
Friends of the centrist expect it, this appointment "can be controversial" because of his indictment for complicity in the embezzlement of public funds in the case of the European parliamentary assistants, in December 2019. This prevented him from returning to the government. On the MoDem side, where we proclaim our innocence, we highlight the distinction between a post of minister (struck by case law) and high commissioner. "People know that it is the same ..." sweeps a ministerial adviser. Not convinced by the argument.
This return sign in any case "the political weight of Bayrou at the moment", decrypts a close friend of the Head of State. However, it is not without risk, which is more in a period of multiple and daily emergencies. "This will make official, an unofficial influence that he has always had," comments a friend of Bayrou. This will give it visibility, but at regular intervals it must be able to make concrete proposals. Because the trap is that of a reflection without application. "