The Savoyard Michel Barnier will need all the mountaineering qualifications. We will still have to wait this Thursday evening while waiting for the formation of the government. But beyond the final decisions to be taken, one thing has continued to strengthen throughout these two weeks of consultations: in Matignon, as in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister will act on the ice.
Indeed, this little piece of music that has been widely circulated in recent hours, suggesting that he might throw in the towel because he is tired of fighting, does not bode well. Michel Barnier certainly worked hard this Thursday. But the fact that his future is already such a source of speculation, thirteen days after his surprise appointment, says a lot about the strength of the headwinds facing the team he intends to lead (the centre bloc and what is left of the Republican right).
In fact, if the left and the National Rally did not waste a minute to open fire, the real difficulty lies elsewhere. And more precisely, in this artificial “majority” with which he will have to deal. In fact, he is the first one to pay attention to. And even more so from the Macronists. He never signed up for the monopolization of the main positions in the government by the Republicans and their 47 deputies.
“The leader of the government will have to endure, because what is being prepared is not a coalition, but coexistence”
It is therefore not out of place that they have shown their claws against the very strong representation of the right. How could the Republicans, who, in addition to occupying Matignon, received only 5% of the votes in the parliamentary elections, take over the sovereign ministries? And are you going to dictate the policy to be followed? The Macronist group has 97 deputies in the parliament, twice as many as LR. But the first names that have been leaked leave no doubt about the route the Prime Minister will follow: it is not surprising that he is on the right.
But the cold snap between Michel Barnier and his partners has proven that the relationship is far from fluid. This was also evident when Thierry Breton was replaced as European Commissioner by the future former Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné. A decision taken unilaterally by Emmanuel Macron. In these conditions, on such an ice rink, the leader of the future government will have to endure. Because what emerges is not a coalition, but a proper coexistence.
