Perhaps most of us would not have thought of putting it that way, but I am indebted to Franceinfo.fr for the verdict on the French government reshuffle from Jean-Christophe Lagarde, the mayor of Drancy who sits in parliament as a member of the right-of-centre Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI).
Most interest in the new prime minister Manuel Valls's choice of cabinet - doubtless influenced a good deal by the president, François Hollande - has focused on the re-entry into government office of Ségolène Royal, Hollande's former partner and mother of their four children.
She takes over at the expanded ministry for ecology, sustainable development and energy, a job made vacant by the refusal of the greens to accept continued office in return for the absolute loyalty they have hitherto withheld from the socialist administration
In the tangled way of French politics, Royal's recall to a position of power also depended on the departure from Hollande's personal life of her great adversary in love and public life, Valérie Trierweller. Trieweiler notoriously tweeted support for a socialist maverick, Olivier Falorni, standing against Royal for election in Charente-Maritime.
It seems unlikely that the president would have found a senior government post for Royal had Trierweiler remained his partner.
Lagarde was probably right to suggest that while Valls had given a good shake to his predecessor Jean-Marc Ayrault's recipe, the ingredients remain largely present. But I liked the riposte of one reader Jivé, at the Franceinfo site: "What elegance from M Largarde. He forgets that in May 2012 [when the socialist sweep to power began with Hollande's victory over Nicolas Sarkozy], the French threw out both the jar and the gherkins."
The main departure, apart from a couple of greens, is that of Pierre Moscovici, the finance minister, who is said to be Brussels-bound as the next commissioner. Laurent Fabius stays at the foreign office, Jean-Yves Le Drian at defence and one of the few popular government figures, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, keeps a place in government.
She ceases to be the government spokesman, a political role in France but without the power of, say, an Alastair Campbell, while keeping her position as minister for women's rights and adds urban affairs, youth and sport to her portfolio.
Opponents have called the appointment of Valls a last throw of the dice by the unpopular Hollande. Valls himself is in for a torrid spell, with huge budget cuts to impose and the eyes of Brussels on French handling of its deficit crisis. Firmly on the right of the socialist party, he also has his work cut out to carry even government supporters with him.
And what it will all do to his presumed ambition to reach the Elysée remains to be seen.
* See the composition of the new government at http://www.gouvernement.fr/
** Salut! imposes no Murdoch-style paywall and has no intention of introducing one. But it takes time, effort and money to keep the site going. If you feel it is a worthwhile project, you may become a Friend of Salut, as several readers have already chosen to do, here and at the associated sites, Salut! Sunderland and Salut! Live. Each site has its own variant of the scheme. Here, you can subscribe to the Friendship for £10 on an annual basis, or £50 for lifetime membership (which necessarily means my lifetime as well as yours!). Anyone subscribing to a lifetime's Friendship will receive a Salut! mug. If this idea takes off, further benefits may be added in due course - I am grateful to all those, here and at other outposts of the Salut! empire, who have already subscribed. Those cherished mugs should be on their way soon ...No one is under any obligation to join. But if you enjoy Salut! enough to do so, here's how ...
Subscribe as a Friend for a £10 a year
Or subscribe to Friendship for life: £50
Recent Comments