The appearance of the new variant of Covid-19 proves this once again.
The executive is constantly caught up in the health crisis.
Emmanuel Macron has even been annoyed several times in recent days in a small committee.
As during the last Council of Ministers, when he reminded everyone of the importance of "continuing to maintain the pace of reforms" despite the health context and its emergencies.
A challenge ... "The difficulty is to manage to talk about something else and especially to get this other thing to be heard in homes", recognizes a member of the government, taken up by another familiar with the executive: “Everyone can see that the main point is this inability to stabilize anything.
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However, addressing the French with concrete reforms is the objective set by the Elysee Palace for the coming weeks.
It will even be at the heart of the back-to-school government seminar to be held this Wednesday.
And for good reason: “We will not capitalize on the crisis.
So, we have no choice for the end of the five-year term: put the package on social justice reforms and everyday measures, ”summarizes an employee of Matignon.
With in sight, in particular, the famous 100 billion stimulus plan to boost the economy.
"The temptation would be to deal only with emergencies, but our responsibility is to anticipate, to get the country out of the crisis with new efficient economic sectors that will bring back the jobs and prosperity we need", says the Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire.
The specter of pension reform
Also in the background, the pension reform that the tenant of Bercy is pushing ardently.
“Carrying out systemic reform would not be funny,” echoes a historical Macronist.
But the majority are not aligned on this point.
Is it possible to put this issue back on the table, which provoked monster strikes at the end of 2019, in such a context?
“On a personal basis”, the government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, told Europe 1 on Monday morning that he was “not certain that today […] this reform can be carried out”.
There is also the reform of unemployment insurance that the Elysee does not want to abandon, the fifth branch of health insurance, additional file for Olivier Véran.
"And maybe a subject on mental health", confides the entourage of the Minister of Health.
Emmanuel Macron and Jean Castex have been working on this government seminar for a month now.
This was also the subject of the famous majority dinner which was held on December 16, renamed "Covid dinner".
On the menu, testifies a participant, "the months to come, the way to prepare the re-entry and to approach the reforms which one wants to push in the useful time which remains to us before the next presidential one".
Subject of the discussions, in addition to the regional elections, the referendum to include environmental and biodiversity issues in the Constitution, pensions, proportionality, etc.
"Devote the end of the five-year term to concrete points"
“Transformation or management?
Macronie's feathered hats are shared.
Some encourage "appease" a country already upset by an unprecedented crisis, or on the contrary encourage Emmanuel Macron, elected on the promise to "transform the country", to reform "whatever the cost".
"We must devote the end of the five-year term to concrete points, such as the relationship to education, social issues for low-income families, solidarity between generations", pleads for his part, in the form of a middle way, the general delegate of LREM, Stanislas Guerini.
Already, some macronists are betting that the end of the mandate “will not be played out” between the walls of the Palais Bourbon, whose schedule is very congested.
"We must continue to reform but outside Parliament, theorizes a faithful of the Head of State.
The stimulus plan is totally in the hands of the executive.
On the sovereign level, the weight of a decree, a circular, is often much greater than that of a bill that is not promulgated.
"At the risk of alienating LREM deputies who have repeatedly protested against the verticality of the executive ...
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After dinner on December 16, when he was confined to the Lantern, Emmanuel Macron continued his work of reflection. This was the subject of several of his telephone meetings with Jean Castex. “This shows the stake hanging over this meeting. We do not have the right to make mistakes. Each minister will have to come out with his list of homework for the coming months, ”says a pillar of the executive. Macron knows it well, time is now playing against him. “At the end of the year, everyone will have their eyes on the presidential election. So, if he still wants to carry major reforms, it is now or never, ”we continue. With always and again, this difficulty: to manage to survive in the health, economic and social context of the moment.
