Will there be a government at Christmas ? François Bayrou could reveal the names of the new ministers this Sunday

François Bayrou is still trying to attract personalities from all sides. MAXPPP – Alexis Sciard

If the Prime Minister wants to keep his promise of an executive appointed before Christmas, he must decide as soon as possible. Some names keep coming up, heavyweights who could weigh in on the opposition's decision to censor or not.

Will there be a government at Christmas? ? This is the Prime Minister's promise and if he intends to keep it, François Bayrou has no choice but to reveal its composition this Sunday, December 22.

It is indeed difficult to imagine the French scrutinizing the steps of the Elysée on December 24, between preparing oysters or turkey and wrapping the last presents. Minds will be a thousand miles away from the announcement of an executive that is, moreover, not very expected. The day before ? Emmanuel Macron, by decreeing this Monday, the 23rd, a day of national mourning, took away an additional option from his new Prime Minister. Which therefore only has this window of December 22, when the President returns to French soil after a trip to Djibouti, to reveal his choices, even though he continued his consultations this Saturday, a sign of the difficulties in putting together a team.

“A method as clear as an Ikea manual”

His task is all the more difficult since he is still seeking, according to his entourage, to form a balanced government. However, while Horizons has confirmed its intention to work with him and LR, despite discussions on Saturday evening, seems close to an agreement, on the left, in recent days, we have mainly heard personalities decline Mr. Bayrou's invitation, like Marisol Touraine, former Minister of Health, who made it known that she refused an offer “because the political conditions are not met”. Before her, the former mayor of Le Mans Stéphane Le Foll had put forward a similar argument.

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Since the meeting between the country's political forces – except RN and LFI – on Thursday at Matignon, the main left-wing leaders have also continued to send negative signals. “In the current state of affairs, we have found no reason not to censor it”, indicated the first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure, who also said he was “dismayed by the poverty of what (was) proposed”. “François Bayrou's method is as clear as an Ikea notice”, tackled the environmentalist leader Marine Tondelier. That says it all. For the time being, only the Radical Party of the Left has made it known, through its president Guillaume Lacroix, that it was ready to “contribute to the formation of a republican front government”, while recalling some measures dear to the party such as the introduction of the points-based pension system.

Moscovici, Retailleau, Rebsamen, Dati, Lecornu…

The window is therefore narrowing for François Bayrou, who could find his salvation with important personalities to achieve a semblance of balance. The usual indiscretions that precede the nomination of a government mentioned, this Saturday, the names of the president of the Court of Auditors, Pierre Moscovici (at the Economy ?), and the former mayor of Dijon François Rebsamen.

The other names that are circulating insistently are then all in the centre or on the right, even if LR said it would continue discussions this Saturday evening. Among the outgoing ministers, it is said that Bruno Retailleau, a figure in the last Barnier government, would have obtained assurances to continue his work on illegal immigration. Geneviève Darrieusecq, close to François Bayrou, would keep her portfolio in Health. For Rachida Dati (Culture), Sébastien Lecornu (Defense) and Jean-Noël Barrot (Foreign Affairs), their retention would rather be due to a presidential will, although the latter could be invited to leave his prestigious and coveted position to another personality.

A sword of Damocles

Among the entrants, some names also come up insistently: the president of Hauts-de-France Xavier Bertrand, the former Minister of the Budget Laurent Saint-Martin, the MoDem Patrick Mignola and Sarah El Haïry – who was nevertheless defeated in the legislative elections.

The bet is risky for François Bayrou. Many of these personalities embody Macronism, which the other two blocs in the National Assembly no longer want. Some even crystallize the anger of the opposition, like Bruno Retailleau “a reason for censorship in itself” or Xavier Bertrand, whom the RN made a “casus belli”. This nomination before Christmas could therefore be anything but a gift for these future ministers, who will evolve, from the first days, with a sword of Damocles above their heads.