This is a constant in the reshuffles under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron: they always take longer than expected.
First promised around January 20, the list of around fifteen personalities called to lend a hand to the 14 ministers already appointed was finally expected on Monday but has since been postponed from day to day.
“Rather Thursday,” people now say in the entourage of the Head of State, who was still counting, in the morning, on an announcement Wednesday afternoon.
That is almost a month after the appointment of the Prime Minister, a long period during which important files (Health, Transport, Housing, etc.) remained without a dedicated contact.
Gabriel Attal therefore gave up on bringing his entire new team together on Thursday morning for a seminar in Matignon, according to several government sources.
However, he maintains his trip the same day to Pas-de-Calais to help flood victims.
An advisor to the executive assures that this new postponement was decided to “not overshadow the tribute” on Wednesday to the victims of the October 7 attack in Israel, a “moment of national unity”.
Video.
France pays tribute to the 42 French victims of Hamas
But the casting lineup also seemed complicated.
For several sources within the presidential camp, a sensitive point could have been resolved: after having supported her for a long time, Emmanuel Macron would have resolved to remove Amélie Oudéa-Castéra from the priority ministry of National Education.
“The only criterion that counts is the ability to act and move things forward,” slips an executive advisor, while “AOC” is entangled in controversies arising from its criticisms against public schools to justify the schooling of his children in the private sector.
It could be demoted to keep only part of its responsibilities, notably the Olympic Games.
After his judicial acquittal this Monday, François Bayrou invited himself into “the equation of a thousand balances”, as an Elysian advisor calls it.
“I will not enter the government,” the mayor of Pau finally decided this Wednesday evening, due to a lack of “deep agreement on the policy to follow.”
Also read “His relaxation gave him wings”: François Bayrou puts pressure on the continuation of the reshuffle
The executive duo must also try to represent the territories in a team perceived as too Parisian.
Deprived of an absolute majority in the National Assembly, he hopes to recruit one or more senators, possibly from the right.
But the left wing of the macronie is also careful not to find itself harmed after the right-wing of the first version of the Attal government.
So many difficulties which made the head of state play for time.
“On housing, on health, on transport issues, it is necessary to have ministers or else we must abolish governments,” said his socialist predecessor François Hollande on franceinfo, deploring an “unprecedented” delay.