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"Prime Minister" or "Prime Minister": the reactions of the political class after the appointment of Elisabeth Borne

2022-05-17T10:32:24.691Z


Emmanuel Macron has chosen his former Minister of Labor at the head of Matignon to launch his second five-year term. No sooner was she named than the political class was divided over the use of her feminine title.


Thirty years after Edith Cresson, a new woman is appointed to Matignon.

The former Minister of Labor, Élisabeth Borne, was chosen by Emmanuel Macron to succeed Jean Castex as head of government.

Congratulations poured in from all political parties to the address of the newly elected on rue de Varenne.

If some have easily adopted the feminization of the status of “Prime Minister”, the others, like Eric Zemmour, have chosen to keep the use of the masculine in the title.

"It's ugly on the ear, isn't it?"

, replied on RTL the former editorialist to journalist Alba Ventura who asked him about the feminization of the title.

If Élisabeth Borne insists on being called "Prime Minister", Édith Cresson, in her time, wanted people to address her as

"Mr. Prime Minister"

, to mark the degree of elevation of this responsibility.

Read also

Is Élisabeth Borne "first" or "prime" minister?

In substance as in form, the reactions to the appointment of Elisabeth Borne to Matignon are a source of cleavage.

On the left and within the presidential majority, the shared enthusiasm for the arrival of a woman at the head of the government is reflected in the use of the female “prime minister”.

Emmanuel Macron writes on his Twitter account "Dear Elisabeth Borne, Madam Prime Minister", as does Anne Hidalgo (PS), Catherine Vautrin (ex-LR) or Julien Bayou (EELV).

Dear @Elisabeth_Borne,


Madam Prime Minister,


Ecology, health, education, full employment, democratic renaissance, Europe and security: together, with the new government, we will continue to act tirelessly for French people.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 16, 2022

On the right, on the contrary, the masculine appellation “Madam Prime Minister” is preferred.

This is at least what the reactions on the same social network of Valérie Pécresse who writes "the 2nd female Prime Minister of our country", of Éric Zemmour (Reconquête!), of Florian Philippot (Les Patriotes), of Gilbert Collard (Reconquest!) or even Marine le Pen (RN).

Congratulations Republican to @Elisabeth_Borne.

She undeniably has the necessary commitment to become the second female Prime Minister of our country.

I wish him the best for France.

— Valérie Pécresse (@vpecresse) May 16, 2022

On the side of the French Academy, there is no obligation to say "Madame Prime Minister".

The institution refuses to impose anything, provided that “the fundamental rules of the language and the spirit of French law” are respected.

If she approves of the increasingly frequent feminization of job titles, she refuses to prohibit the use of the masculine.

If we refer to the recommendations of the French Republic, it is better to say

"Madame la première minister".

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-05-17

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