For a weekend, the hexagonal political debate seemed to move from Paris to Aix-en-Provence (Bocuhes-du-Rhône). For two days, the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, and the former tenant of Matignon Edouard Philippe succeeded each other in front of all that France has of big bosses, economists, and of politicians gathered under the crushing sun of Aix-en-Provence on the occasion of the 22e edition of Economic Meetings. Passing each other around a coffee, answering each other through interposed screens, they seemed to advance their pawns in turn under the eyes of amused observers in this « Davos provençal » dedicated each year to the great challenges of the world.
“You might have the impression that he is prime minister”, quipped a boss following the intervention of Bruno Le Maire, Sunday July 10. Lyrique, the new number two of the government had summoned “the spirit of Toqueville” to be the advocate of “individual rights” threatened in great democracies like the United States, that of Pascal for “his front thought, the short term, and the back thought, the long term”, that of “Lights” who does what “France has something to say” on the international stage once morest “The Great Divergence” between Europe and developing countries. “A country always needs direction, to know what is essential. For me, it is education and culture”then detailed the tenant of Bercy. “There, he is campaigning”, murmured a banker present in the room, tapping on his smartphone.
The day before, it was Edouard Philippe, absent in 2021, who had focused all eyes. Four years ago as prime minister, he sold his government’s reform agenda. This time, he expounded on the difficulty of the task, mocking his own failed pension reform. “She was very intelligent, just very very complicated,” he acknowledged. He adds : “Everyone does their therapy as they feel, it makes me feel good! »
A message of optimism
It was nevertheless Elisabeth Borne’s performance that moved the most people, in an amphitheater so full that the security services had to turn back spectators. “People are not there for the talk, they want to see the non-verbal”, deciphered a pattern. At ease, smiling, the jacket falling as desired dress code from the place where displaying in shirtsleeves is a prerequisite, she savored the applause of a room which seemed to her acquired. The epilogue of a test week for the Prime Minister, accused from her appointment, including by her own camp, of being too little political. She applied herself to breaking her “techno” image, admitting in front of a few journalists to have “good fun” seeing the outraged reaction of some opposition MEPs during his policy speechWednesday, July 6.
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