The time for consultation, before that of decision and expression.
With the approach of a long-awaited speech from the French, Tuesday, November 24 at 8 p.m., Emmanuel Macron locked himself up all weekend at the Elysee Palace.
He just left on Saturday, at the end of the day, to go to the headquarters of an organization that collects funds for the benefit of the populations in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Then he took part in the G20 summit by videoconference.
But that's all.
Because the stake of Tuesday evening, namely to trace the first step of a reduction in confinement, remains more than ever its priority at the moment.
With words that will be important and a major challenge: to open up encouraging and positive prospects as the end of the year holidays approach, without lowering your guard in the face of a Covid-19 virus which seems as formidable as it is. unpredictable.
He summed it up himself over the weekend.
“We need consistency, clarity, a course.
Knowing together where we are going and how to get there ", insisted the Head of State to the Journal du Dimanche, aware of this" difficult task, because the pandemic is inherently unpredictable and global ".
"A lot of things will still move by Tuesday"
So, as this deadline approaches, Emmanuel Macron spoke a lot over the weekend, with Jean Castex, the ministers on the front line on the subject, not to mention "a few calls from the field, to probe", confides a relative .
In particular mayors and representatives of professional organizations.
Enough to feed his thinking and help him write his speech, a first plot of which is already circulating in the presidential palace.
“But all the choices are not yet validated.
A lot of things will still move by Tuesday, “assures his entourage.
Especially since the final arbitrations should not take place before the end of a new Defense Council which, according to our information, should very likely take place on Tuesday morning.
In particular, will he authorize the reopening of small businesses from next weekend?
“If the health indicators continue to move in the right direction, it is the hypothesis that actually holds water.
Bercy is in the process of implementing a health protocol in this regard, ”recalls a ministerial adviser.
The president is also expected to vote on the issue of places of worship, whose religious services could also be authorized under certain conditions, as Le Parisien - Today in France revealed on Friday.
Then also give some perspective on the vaccine.
As for cinemas, theaters, sports halls and ski resorts, it is still the big blur.
In short, only explosive subjects for the majority.
The proof ?
Monday afternoon, no less than nine ministers will surround Jean Castex for a meeting with elected officials and professional mountain organizations on the subject of ski resorts.
The results of this meeting will be forwarded to the president who will take them into account during his speech.
"Caution and hope", without shock formulas
Because Emmanuel Macron knows it well, Tuesday evening, he will swim more than ever between two waters.
“It's prudence and hope.
Be careful, because the situation is still problematic.
Then hope, because although it remains problematic, everyone agrees that we are passing the peak, ”summarizes a close friend of the president.
“It's extremely difficult.
As long as we are not rid of this dirt, we will always be on a ridge line ”, recognized Jean Castex a few days ago in front of visitors.
We should therefore not expect shocking formulas, of the type of the “happy days” that he had used at the time of deconfinement.
"We see what it gave afterwards ..." grumbled a parliamentarian from The Republic on the move.
"Would we repeat the same speeches with six months of hindsight?"
Of course not.
But we cannot say that we regret this expression because, when he pronounces it, the president makes it according to the scientific knowledge of the moment ", defends the Elysee, swearing that" the promise of happy days remains, anyway. way, the goal towards which we must all strive ”.
