Reshuffle rumors are intensifying. For several months now, the status of Elisabeth Borne at the head of the government seems to be compromised more and more. After the use of article 49.3 of the Constitution to have the pension reform adopted, the anger of the opponents seems to have crystallized on the technocrat and the President of the Republic.
To get out of this stalemate, the reshuffle seems to be the ideal option, demanded by most of the opposition. However, so far, the Executive has not wished to implement this solution which, even if it could have calmed the social crisis, would have put the Head of State in a weak position.
However, the reshuffle is not excluded and should even take place soon. Many experts believe it should happen in the month of July. But could this be an opportunity to bring about the return of a majority dinosaur to Matignon?
During his tenure at Matignon as after, Edouard Philippe remained particularly popular with part of the French population. From now on, he intends to take advantage of this popularity to try to access the supreme office during the presidential election of 2027.
But before that, some citizens would like to see him return to his old position, alongside Emmanuel Macron. Indeed, strategically, appointing Edouard Philippe could allow the president to secure unfailing support from the Horizon party, already a member of the presidential majority. But it could also please some Republicans, at least their electorate.
However, since the resignation of the Philippe government, the two men have had a complicated relationship and have many disagreements, which could well make cohabitation difficult. Despite this, during his re-election in 2022, Emmanuel Macron would have thought of giving a ministry to the mayor of Le Havre, and not the least.
In May 2022, while Emmanuel Macron was still thinking about the composition of his new government, the name of Edouard Philippe would have appeared in discussions. According to revelations from Politico, a close friend of the President of the Republic would have confided that the latter was thinking of offering him the Quai d’Orsay.
According to our colleagues, this strategy aimed to keep his former minister in sight but also to see if he would have accepted or refused the proposal. However, no exchange took place between the two men on this subject and, as we now know, Edouard Philippe was not appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Thus, today, it seems very unlikely that Emmanuel Macron has even thought of the former colt of Alain Juppé to replace Elisabeth Borne.
Since the resignation of Edouard Philippe, his relations with the President of the Republic seem strained. If the former Prime Minister always supports Emmanuel Macron when necessary, the latter would only maintain cordial and distant relations.
In the columns of L’Opinion, Nicolas Sarkozy even declared last April “Edouard Philippe is Emmanuel Macron’s obsession”. Asked about the subject on the Daily set, the magazine’s political journalist said “yes, it’s really hatred between Emmanuel Macron and Édouard Philippe”, reports Gala.
