All the television channels dreamed of it.
It was finally France Télévisions which landed the first major interview with Édouard Philippe, nine months after his departure from Matignon.
On April 4, the former prime minister will be the guest on France 2 of the magazine “8:30 pm Sunday”, presented by Laurent Delahousse.
Read also: Édouard Philippe, the strategy of an omnipresent absentee
A meeting a priori eagerly awaited.
The former government number one has spoken little since he left rue de Varenne on July 3.
The French were able to see him recently on RMC Sport in the program "Top of the Foot".
But it was only to talk about football.
In September already, he had agreed to share his musical tastes at the microphone of Radio Classique, to tell his memories of military service on Europe 1. In November, he was pouring out his favorite television series in
Le Point
.
Thematic appearances and no political interview, so as not to be forgotten without pouring into the commentary on the action of Emmanuel Macron and Jean Castex.
Shortly after the Christmas festivities, journalist Laurent Delahousse and the mayor of Le Havre, who has become the French favorite political figure, met informally.
“
Everything was decided in ten minutes.
There weren't many discussions,
”says Jean-Michel Carpentier, editor-in-chief of Laurent Delahousse's magazines.
The show is a strategic audience crossroads: it is watched by 5 to 6 million French people on Sundays.
“
It's mostly a show in which we can speak a little differently.
We discuss culture as well as society and politics,
”recalls its editor-in-chief.
The mystery remains whole
Édouard Philippe will not be the first politician to be received on the set of "8:30 pm Sunday".
Before him, we could meet François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Éric Dupond-Moretti, Bernard Tapie, Nicolas Hulot.
“
Laurent Delahousse does not systematically use the codes of political journalists to carry out his interviews.
For these personalities, it is therefore another way of doing politics,
”analyzes Jean-Michel Carpentier.
The show, which lasts less than 30 minutes, takes place live.
“
There is never a trap with us, but there is no deal either.
We do not give the questions or the themes that will be discussed to our guests
”.
Logically, the interview will focus on the book by Édouard Philippe and his friend MEP Gilles Boyer, to be published on April 7 by Lattès editions.
“
It is not excluded that there are topical questions.
Everything will depend on the context at the time,
”sweeps the editor-in-chief.
As to whether the subject of a possible candidacy of Édouard Philippe in the next presidential election will be discussed, for the time being the mystery remains unresolved.
According to relatives of the former head of government,
Impressions et lines clair
is a
"story about the art of governing, the contradictory injunctions and the feelings that cross us when we exercise power"
.
The opportunity for the elected Norman of a promotion in the media, although he
"does not like gossip, of which he makes few comments",
specifies one of his followers.
In September, by predicting "storms" at a public meeting, Édouard Philippe had drawn the wrath of certain friends of Emmanuel Macron.
The Head of State is also due soon to hand over the Legion of Honor to his former Prime Minister, on whom he hopes to count for the 2022 presidential campaign.