A ministerial reshuffle seems to be taking shape this Friday and could occur in the next few days, or even the next few hours. Elisabeth Borne would be leaving like other ministers.
The Prime Minister and her entourage are misleading journalists, some close to Elisabeth Borne having denied any mention of a resignation to the Head of State during the weekly meeting on Wednesday January 3. But after Emmanuel Macron’s strong thanks to the tenant of Matignon in his wishes of December 31, interpreted as a “goodbye” by some, the polytechnician seems well on the way. She checked all the boxes on her roadmap in the last half of 2023 and now has no bill to defend.
To replace it, a name has been in the running for several days, that of Sébastien Lecornu, current Minister of the Armed Forces and close to Emmanuel Macron. The man has the profile of an executive capable of negotiating with LR and exercising influence without eclipsing the head of state. Other names are also mentioned: those of Richard Ferrand (former president of the National Assembly), Julien Denormandie (former Minister of Agriculture) or even Bruno Le Maire who says he is good at the Ministry of the Economy but would feed desires for Matignon.
On the side of the ministers in danger are those nicknamed the “rebellious” for their opposition to the immigration law: Clément Beaune (Transport), Rima Abdul-Malak (Culture), Patrice Vergriete (Housing), Sylvie Retailleau (Higher Education) and Roland Lescure (Industry). We must also cite the Minister of Health Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, appointed interim after the resignation of Aurélien Rousseau, who is the subject of an investigation for having received gifts from a pharmaceutical laboratory without declaring them as part of her profession as a pharmacist. Catherine Colonna based at the Quai d’Orsay would also be in the hot seat according to Le Parisien.
The case of the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, raises questions. The man is scheduled to stand trial in his favoritism trial on January 17. The head of state could want to part ways without waiting for the verdict or, on the contrary, keep the minister, who benefits from the presumption of innocence, within the government, at the risk of having to replace him at the end of January.
Some ministers could remain within the executive, but land in different functions. In the game of musical chairs Sébastien Lecornu is in the lead since he could, according to persistent rumors, go from Minister of the Armed Forces to Prime Minister. The hypothesis is also raised for the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire.
At the Ministry of the Interior, someone other than Gérald Darmanin could take over according to some rumors. The “first cop in France”, weakened after the vote on the immigration law, would like to leave Beauvau for the Quai d’Orsay. But a replacement at the Interior seems difficult a few months before the Paris Olympic Games.
If he remains in the government Olivier Dussopt could also move, who would be interested in the Ministry of the Armed Forces according to Le Parisien.
