Michel Barnier was searching for the right words. The ones he thinks would match the gravity of the situation. This Sunday, September 29, on the second floor of his office in the Hôtel de Matignon, seated behind Léon Blum's Louis XV desk, the prime minister was reworking his speech, peppered with references to his hero, General de Gaulle.
Less than 48 hours later, at 3 pm on Tuesday, the 73-year-old former European commissioner would be making his government policy statement at the Assemblée Nationale, the first major speech required of any new French prime minister. As head of a government without a majority, he knows his role will be a delicate one. The far right is keeping him "under surveillance" and elected representatives on the left are furious at the appointment of the member of the right-wing Les Republicans (LR), which in their view does not respect the result of the July 7 legislative elections that put the Nouveau Font Populaire alliance in the lead. They have promised to vote to overthrow him. "I act under Parliament's rule, and it is Parliament that will hold the key to making the government last," admitted Barnier in an interview with Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire published on Friday.
Over the course of the past week, Gabriel Attal's successor listened to a wide range of people, including parliamentary group leaders, union representatives and ministers, to hear their ideas and build his government policy statement. But what would he take from all that? Since his arrival at Matignon, Barnier has remained tight-lipped, cautiously avoiding revealing his position. His supporters in the LR, Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI), Renaissance, MoDem and Horizons parties have urged him to clarify his line. But how far can he go? No "coalition pact" has been signed to seal the agreements and priorities of these parties, circumstantial allies with divergent ideologies. "All it takes is for Michel Barnier to say one word, and all the fantasies are awakened. It's like the Andros Trophy [former ice racing championship]. You're driving on ice and it's easy to go off the road," observed Hervé Marseille, UDI president.
The issue of tax hikes, hinted at by the prime minister as a response to the widening public deficit, has already ruffled Macronist feathers. In an open letter published by La Tribune Dimanche on Sunday, 27 MPs from President Emmanuel Macron's party spoke out against what they called an "unthinkable" initiative that would involve "abandoning the fiscal stability" put in place seven years ago. "Social justice should not be used as a pretext for tax evasion," they wrote. On the same day, former interior minister Gérald Darmanin was insistent. "I know that many of us will not be able to support a government that raises taxes," he proclaimed, appearing to speak on behalf of all Macron's elected representatives.
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