There’s always electricity in the air when a new government is announced in France. Analysts try to bring to light the symbolism of each nomination and search for political wizardry in every decision. Journalists refresh their address books.
This time around, things were different. No formal announcements were made on Monday (4 July) to unveil the new list of ministers for Emmanuel Macron’s second five-year term.
Instead, names were leaked throughout the morning before a press release was published.
If there is one thing we can glean from this new government, it is that a stable, long-term coalition is no longer an option. Macron has failed to secure cross-party nominations – new ministers are either from his Ensemble! coalition, or civil society.
Opposition parties were clear: They would not obstruct the government but would not be part of it. This compromise should, they hope, mean that they do not get the blame for France’s woes since they are willing to ‘take responsibility’ and vote in favour of some of the government-tabled bills (or so they claim), but without putting any skin in the game.
Macron’s tactical efforts to blame the government’s future inaction on the opposition have not yet worked – he’s now stuck with a limited pool to choose ministers from.
The new government, as it stands, also means that for the country to function politically, impromptu case-by-case coalition deals will be the norm. This isn’t impossible – Scandinavian countries have demonstrated how it can work – yet compromise and consensus-building will require a considerable culture change in the way politics is done in France.
The system is based on the government having an absolute majority in the National Assembly – case-by-case entente cordiale with the opposition isn’t what France is used to.
Social conservatives are back
Government nominations also give a sense of the roadmap the executive intends to follow. Personalities and an ingenious choice of portfolios can send strong signals about where the government is heading.
None of that happened yesterday. For the most part, ministers are technical experts (bar a few local barons) with limited political sway. As for where Macron really wants to go – it remains unclear.
Yet key files need addressing, and quickly.
A ‘purchasing power’ bill will be introduced in the next few days to battle rising prices. More is also expected to be done to fight the COVID pandemic as cases soar once more.
What really grabbed people’s attention, however, was not the policies – but instead the résumés of some of the newly-appointed ministers and the distinct feeling that social conservatives, rather than progressives, are back at the heart of government.
Caroline Cayeux, the newly-appointed minister-delegate for local affairs, actively fought against same-sex marriage in 2013.
Christophe Béchu, minister for ecological transition, shares similar views. As senator between 2011 and 2017, he also voted against a ban on neonicotinoids – which environmentalists quickly remind him of.
Finally, Macron has done away with Damien Abad, who is facing accusations of harassment and rape by several women. The long-awaited decision came after weeks of scandals, reinforcing the feeling that sexual violence may not be Macron’s priority.
Macron needs new impetus after a long electoral period – focusing on communication mishaps, and unfit-for-purpose ministers is not welcome and suggests unpreparedness. Much more will be needed to convince voters that Macron is as disruptive and innovative today as he was five years ago.
The Roundup
Food security will be the key shaping force of the agrifood priorities of the Czech Presidency, featured on the agenda of all meetings of EU agriculture ministers over the next six months.
While NATO ambassadors signed the accession protocols for Finland and Sweden on Tuesday, the Turkish parliament could still pose a hurdle for the countries’ official membership.
The European Parliament adopted the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) with a broad majority on Tuesday.
The chief executives of DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, and Qwant published an open letter on Tuesday with a set of principles on how to enable consumers to effectively change their default settings.
The hosting of child pornographic content in Germany has exploded tenfold from 2020 to 2021, according to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) on Tuesday.
US tech giants are not letting France’s revisited “trusted cloud” label – awarded to companies granting greater protection to users, including the guarantee that US law will not apply abroad – get in the way of their aspirations.
EU and French lawmakers expressed fears of ‘brewing social unrest’ after the Council further reduced Parliament’s measures aimed at balancing the social impacts of the EU’s Fit for 55 package.
Gaps in monitoring mean the EU’s farming subsidy programme remains vulnerable to fraudulent practices, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said on Monday.
The Ukrainian energy ministry has weighed into the debate over the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy, calling on the European Parliament to support plans to label nuclear and gas as green energy sources.
Meanwhile, Christophe Béchu, the new minister for ecological transition in the new French government, is being heavily criticised for his lack of expertise on the matter.
German energy companies are struggling under the strain of record energy prices, prompting the German government to tighten its hold on the market.
Network operators have called for investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure in order to prevent supply shortages as gas flows from Russia hit record lows ahead of a scheduled ten-day maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
In other news, the debate on climate change’s impact on health should be broadened, MEP Sara Cerdas told EURACTIV, as health costs for society if we do not act will be unimaginable.
While the European Commission aims to encourage the use of recycled materials in its upcoming packaging law, it also recognises that recycling has its limits.
Last but not least, check out our Transport Brief.
Look out for…
- European Parliament Plenary Session in Strasbourg through Thursday
- Czech Republic PM Petr Fiala presents Czech Presidency programme to European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
- High Representative Josep Borrell participates in G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Bali, Indonesia on Thursday-Friday.
Views are the author’s.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic/Alice Taylor]
Source: euractiv.com
