On the eve of a government reshuffle, the hypothesis of Richard Ferrand as Prime Minister seems to have been ruled out, according to Le Figaro. The former president of the National Assembly was one of the potential successors to Élisabeth Borne in Matignon. Without specifying whether this position was really offered to him by Emmanuel Macron, he is said to have indicated to the head of state that he had "no intention of resuming political activity in the near future", according to the daily. Richard Ferrand has retired from politics since his defeat in the legislative elections on June 19, 2022, by a few hundred votes against a PS candidate.
So, who will replace the Prime Minister? The name of the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, comes up again and again. The 38-year-old former local politician is one of the few ministers with experience in politics. This hypothesis displeases some of the president's allies, including the centrist François Bayrou.
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The name of Bruno Le Maire, who was due to be received at the Élysée Palace on Friday, is also circulating. Another strong contender is Julien Denormandie, former Minister of Agriculture and Housing, who was already mentioned during the previous reshuffle in June 2023. This long-time collaborator of Emmanuel Macron since their Bercy years left government life in May 2022 to "devote time to (his) family", he explained. Since then, he has been working for the start-up Sweep, which specialises in advising companies on how to reduce their carbon emissions.
Emmanuel Macron is due to work on this reshuffle at his residence in La Lanterne this weekend. He could unveil his plans "Sunday night or Monday morning."
Who is most likely to leave the government?
At the forefront of the outgoing ministers is Agnès Firmin Le Bodo. She replaces Aurélien Rousseau, who resigned because of his disagreements over the immigration law. But she is under investigation for receiving gifts from the Urgo laboratory. This portfolio, a priority for the executive, was discussed during the weekly lunch between Élisabeth Borne and Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday.
It remains to be seen how the other ministers who expressed their unease after the vote on the text, without leaving the government, will be eaten, such as Clément Beaune (Transport), Sylvie Retailleau (Higher Education) or Patrice Vergriete (Housing).
Clément Beaune, who assured Le Parisien that he "still has battles to fight" and is ready to "serve", is "out of the game", according to a ministerial source. Is the fate of Rima Abdul Malak (Culture), whom the president had publicly contradicted on Gérard Depardieu, also sealed?
The future of Catherine Colonna (Foreign Affairs), whom Sébastien Lecornu had seemed to almost replace on the diplomatic front in the Middle East, is also uncertain. To replace her, some say that Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin would like to see himself at the Quai d'Orsay, while the name of Stéphane Séjourné, MEP and president of the presidential party Renaissance, is also circulating.
As for Olivier Dussopt (Labour), who is awaiting the verdict in his trial for favouritism on 17 January, he could be replaced at the Ministry of Labour.
Among the entrants, the name of MP Maud Bregeon, a close friend of Gérald Darmanin, is also put forward. She was removed at the last minute from the position of spokesperson for the previous government.