Between petit fours and songs from the Connemara lake… this garden party at the Élysée had an air of farewell for several ministers, this Tuesday, July 18, ironically describes the MidiLibre newspaper in its recent article on the subject. Forty-two ministers and their companions met for the traditional dinner before the summer break, probably for the last time for some… According to sources in Le Monde, only the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, on a trip to Iraqi Kurdistan, missed the call.
For the occasion, a buffet was set up in the grass, a crackling barbecue, all accompanied by French variety hits in the air: Broadway Java, by Michel Sardou, Ex-fan of the sixties, by Jane Birkin … As if nothing had happened, reports Le Monde. And yet, negotiations are still in full swing for the government reshuffle announced the day before and scheduled for the weekend.
As we sat down to eat, just after speaking with Elisabeth Borne, Emmanuel Macron spoke more solemnly: “In a past life I was in your place and I know that these moments are never pleasant”. You have to take a lot of distance. Then he notably congratulated his ministers after “a very busy year” and announced to them “decisive reforms” from “back to school”, learned BFMTV from participants in this meal. A bit like at a wedding, everyone then went back to the table. In free seating, “everyone sits where they want, specifies Brigitte Macron”, at the microphone, like an MC of the evening.
At the table, we can see Élisabeth Borne with her companion, or the Keeper of the Seals Éric Dupond-Moretti with the singer Isabelle Boulay, or Marlène Schiappa and her new companion… But also Charlotte Caubel (Secretary of State for Children ) is flanked by her husband, the CEO of Carrefour, Alexandre Bompard… details Le Parisien. The atmosphere is electric: “We feel a lot of relief and some concerns”, says a witness.
The Head of State goes from table to table, like a groom. He then settles in a table located in the center, with Gérald Darmanin, Bruno the Mayor, Éric Dupond-Moretti, the secretary general of the Élysée Alexis Kohler. So much for convenience. The subjects which annoy, starting with the puzzle of the reorganization, will resume as of Wednesday morning, at dawn… develops Le MidiLibre. The evening ended after midnight, indicates BFMTV. Some ministers sang Les lacs du Connemara, in the Elysée gardens before leaving the Palace. a participant in the MidiLibre.