Following the announcement of the government reshuffle and the disappearance of the Azuriens from the national political scene, reactions continue within the local political class.
Xavier Garcia (PS): This is probably what must have hurt his oversized ego the most, even more than his removal from the government. No national media mentioned Christian Estrosi among those who left. Whether it was TF1, France 2, France 3, M6, Le Monde… there was no mention. As if he had never been part of the government!
This forced departure, whatever he may say (“a decision taken by mutual agreement”!!), sounds like a disavowal for the Mayor of Nice and his action at the Ministry of Industry where he made his presence felt with extremely eager declarations followed each time… by nothing. His time in the government, like the previous one, will mostly be remembered for an affair revealed by Le Canard Enchaîné. Last time, it was the 138,000 euro Falcon to attend a small Sarkozy party at the Élysée. This time, it’s the two official residences in Paris. This plane and these apartments, this will be the only legacy of his ministerial experience.
For the rest, this removal is a return to normalcy. A ministry should not be a reward for political loyalty, but for statesman qualities. These qualities, Christian Estrosi does not have, it is now clear to everyone. Moreover, in 2010, one can no longer be both a minister and a mayor of a major city (and even more so President of an urban community). These are two full-time jobs, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Alain Juppé is trying to tell us the contrary today but it’s a totally archaic French specificity.
As for the reshuffle itself, there is nothing to add to all the comments that have been made about the return of the RPR state. We had 6 months of suspense for a leap 15 years back into the past. What is certain is that the social shift will not happen, but who doubted it? And despite everything, one cannot help but feel a certain jubilation at the sight of all the former MoDem members coming to the table and all the pseudo-open ministers becoming the cuckolds in turn.
Dominique Boy-Mottard (Left Otherwise): A Government à la Chirac?
“All this for that?” is the comment going round in circles in the media, and probably in French households, with the appointment of the Fillon 3 government after several months of hesitation.
Looking more closely though, it can still be noted that it marks the end of Sarkozy’s daring moves on at least two fronts.
The end of openness: the only surviving left-wing minister (Eric Besson) is the one who agreed to join the UMP… At least, that way, things are clear.
The fall of diversity icons: after Rachida Dati, it’s now the turn of Rama Yade and Fadela Amara to disappear from the government team. Diversity will appreciate.
Consequently, with the return of Juppé and the rise of Michèle Alliot-Marie, this government, more endured than wanted by Nicolas Sarkozy, has the look of a Chirac government in its five-year term version. Even though in these governments, there was sometimes a certain Christian Estrosi…
