INFOGRAPHICS – According to our survey, a small majority considers the conditions of the arrival of Christophe Castaner at the head of the party “shocking”.
It's not North Korea but still... While the political movement of the President of the Republic is preparing to officially designate Christophe Castaner at its head, the French harshly judge the practices of the party. According to the results of an Odoxa survey for Le Figaro and Franceinfo, La République en Marche (LREM) would not have much to envy to the other major political formations of the country whose practices it was nevertheless keen to renew.
More than one in two French people find the terms of the planned election of Christophe Castaner shocking. Three quarters of them also believe that LREM is not a more democratic party than the others. A judgment all the more severe as the party of the President of the Republic was structured and built on the promise of a renewal of political practices. Moreover, on the promises to be more democratic, more attentive to its members and more concerned with morality, LREM does not convince. Only a quarter of French people believe that the party fulfills the first two criteria, and barely more than a third considers that it fulfills the third. In short, after the election, it's disappointment, even if, for the moment, the judgment of the French is more about LREM than about the action of the President of the Republic. Besides, for the moment, they are not asking him to change. Or not too much.
While the election of Christophe Castaner will result in movements in the government team, they are 56% to ask for a "mini-reshuffle" rather than a "large reshuffle". It should be noted that it is especially among left-wing sympathizers that a great renewal of the team is requested (46%), translation on paper of a political line perceived as being very anchored on the right. Like a request for rebalancing addressed to Emmanuel Macron by the people of the left. "The French are very critical of the government's action, but six months is too short to change everything," said the survey. A sign, however, that the renewal of the faces of political personnel is appreciated, the French would like to see only a few personalities from the “old world” again in the event of a major reshuffle in the future. Only Alain Juppé is one of which 53% of French people believe that he would be an asset for a new government. The former Prime Minister is acclaimed by right-wing supporters (73%), by those of LREM (70%) but also by those on the left (50%).
Two other right-wing politicians follow: Jean-Louis Borloo and Xavier Bertrand, of whom 45% and 38% of those questioned believe that they would be assets. But there are also socialists on this list. First of them, Bertrand Delanoë, an asset for 29% of the French in front of Ségolène Royal (26%) and Manuel Valls (21%).
The return of these figures of political life to the front of the stage remains largely hypothetical, as Emmanuel Macron has made renewal in politics one of his trademarks.
Controversy over Castaner's double hat
Minister and at the same time party leader? The combination of functions envisaged by Christophe Castaner continues to provoke controversy. The Secretary of State for Relations with Parliament, who is to be appointed Saturday in Lyon as delegate general of La République en Marche, plans to keep one foot in government while leading the majority party. Of course, the case has precedents. Nicolas Sarkozy or Alain Juppé had both exercised ministerial functions while directing the UMP or the RPR. But, for a party that has made itself the champion of the modernization of political practices, the case is bad. And poses a problem even within the macronie.
“The combination of these two functions poses a problem”, laments in The Obs Astrid Panosyan, member of the provisional leadership of Emmanuel Macron's party. If he kept this precise ministerial function, how would we make the distinction between what he would say as a minister and as general delegate of LREM? The opposition was quick to rush into the controversy. This double hat would be “an absolute scandal” for the deputy Les Républicains Damien Abad. “It's just impossible from an ethical, moral and political point of view, according to him. When tomorrow the deputies of LREM ask him a question, will they address the minister or the party leader?
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