Opposed to the immigration law, disowned by the head of state or even suspended by a court decision, these ministers could soon leave the government.
Who are the ministers who could leave the government at the start of the year? Rumors about a cabinet reshuffle are rife. The month of December put the executive to the test, with the passage in the Assembly of a tougher immigration law, but also the controversy surrounding the actor Gérard Depardieu which divided the troops. Several members of the government have emerged weakened from this turmoil, when they themselves have not expressed their desire to leave.
The first question concerns none other than the Prime Minister herself. Thanked “especially” by the Head of State in his end-of-year speech, Elisabeth Borne remains uncertain. The political storm caused by the passage of the immigration law in Parliament was only the last episode of a merciless year for the popularity curve of the head of government, which reached around 49.3 since the start of her mandate . Will Emmanuel Macron renew his trust in him? Nothing is certain.
Doubt also hangs over several ministers from the left wing of the government who have expressed their disagreement with the text of the immigration law. According to Le Figaro, the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune, the Minister for Housing Patrice Vergriete, the Minister of Higher Education and Research Sylvie Retailleau and the former Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau had threatened to resign if a text of Too harsh an immigration law was passed. Following the Assembly’s vote, Aurélien Rousseau resigned and left his ministry.
What future for the other three? Sylvie Retailleau also submitted her resignation, but was refused. Emmanuel Macron convinced her to stay by promising that the harshest measures provided for by the immigration law, in particular the compulsory deposit for foreign students, would not be applied. For the other two, the situation is more complex. Clément Beaune’s initiative to organize a dinner between ministers opposed to the text of the law had notably made macronie cringe.
The future of the one who replaced Aurélien Rousseau after his resignation is also in question. Agnès Firmin Le Bodo was promoted on December 20 to the post of interim Minister of Health. Since then, Médiapart has revealed that she was the subject of an investigation as part of her role as a pharmacist”, because she allegedly “received gifts without declaring them” from the Urgo laboratory. Will Emmanuel Macron assert the presumption of innocence or will he take advantage of his status as “interim” minister to rule out the problem by replacing her?
Rima Abdul Malak also seems to be in the hot seat since her disappointment with Emmanuel Macron over the Depardieu affair. On December 15, the Minister of Culture said she was “disgusted” by the images in the “Supplementary Investigation” on the actor accused of rape. She had announced the opening of a disciplinary procedure to rule on the suspension of Depardieu’s Legion of Honor. A few days later, the head of state publicly disavowed his minister on France 5 and expressed his support for the actor. If we add that, according to Le Figaro, Rima Abdul Malak participated in Clément Beaune’s dinner with opponents of the immigration law, the future of the Minister of Culture in the government seems more than uncertain.
One last element could leave the government in the coming weeks: the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt. If the latter remained loyal to the executive when others were not, his fate hangs on the decision of the Paris criminal court concerning him. The minister was the subject of a trial in November for suspicion of “favoritism” in the awarding of a public contract in 2009, when he was deputy mayor of Annonay (Ardèche). The verdict is expected on January 17. If he were convicted, Olivier Dussopt would have to resign from his position.
