For nearly three out of four French people, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is only implementing the decisions of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
100 days. It has now been more than three months since Gabriel Attal was appointed to Matignon. “Action, action, action”, “results, results, results” he insisted during his first interview as Prime Minister. Since the start of his mission, it is difficult to blame him for his presence on the ground.
He has increased the number of trips on the themes of security, education, health and even ecological transition. Some even compare him to Nicolas Sarkozy, former President of the Republic, for his ability to try to exist on all fronts. But in fact, the youngest Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic seemed to lose credibility in the minds of the French, week after week.
If Emmanuel Macron appointed Gabriel Attal as Prime Minister, it was to regenerate the presidential mandate. The latter was built in the shadow of his mentor, without a truly substantial political career, and without the slightest local roots. The episode of the farmers' crisis with numerous demonstrations and blockages on the roads of France, then the hiccup in the public accounts with a deficit of 5.5% of GDP instead of the 4.9% initially planned, slightly weakened the tenant from Matignon. Especially since, in the second file, Emmanuel Macron and Bruno Le Maire took over the reins, putting Gabriel Attal in the background.
This clear withdrawal of Gabriel Attal is reflected in the polls. According to a new "L'Opinion en direct" survey conducted by Elabe for BFMTV, public opinion has the feeling that it has no real influence on the decisions that are made. 72% of French people believe that he is simply implementing Emmanuel Macron's decisions. In addition, 54% of the head of state's electorate share this opinion. A small disavowal for the one who was qualified as an “anti-Bardella weapon” in the European race. A very delicate campaign for the majority, the head of the list Valérie Hayer is currently credited with 16% of voting intentions, far behind the RN list led by Jordan Bardella (30%). The vote will take place on June 9, 2024.
While the international agenda continues to put Emmanuel Macron forward, not even the questions to the government - of which Gabriel Attal is the only one to answer now - seem to be able to put a little light on his face. In the columns of Le Progrès this Thursday, the CNRS researcher at Cevipov and professor at Sciences Po Paris, Bruno Cauvrai, believes that the Prime Minister has failed to regenerate the president's five-year term. “Despite his youth, his talent and his dynamism, he is unfortunately the bearer of a story which is now seven years old” he explains.
He continues: "We still do not see at the moment what the guiding principle of Emmanuel Macron's second term is. However, Gabriel Attal is following in the footsteps of the Head of State with a form of pragmatism which consists of being a spectacular, rapid response with a lot of communication on the problems that arise without all this drawing a horizon of 'where are we going?' and 'what will the country have gained after ten years of Macronism?'". This Thursday, April 18, Gabriel Attal will go to Viry-Châtillon to announce measures on "authority", a city mourning the death of Shemseddine, 15, beaten near his college on April 4.
