One minute out of more than an hour and a half of discussion. This is what Édouard Philippe's detractors will remember from the interview with the former French Prime Minister. At the microphone of Pauline Laigneau's podcast, the candidate for the presidential election spoke about his journey, his life and his experience at Matignon.
For a few minutes, he ventured to give his point of view on the pace of life of elected officials. “The myth of the superman who never sleeps annoys me. I don't believe in that. You have to sleep in life. There are subjects that require reflection,” says Édouard Philippe. Before dropping a bomb. “I would love a system in which the president is elected in May and takes office in September. And between May and September, he has time to rest, to unwind after a presidential election which is extremely tiring, extremely tiring. […] He would have time to consult […], to set up his teams, to give instructions, to start at the beginning of September. »
Since this release, reactions have been pouring in to accuse the mayor of Le Havre of wanting to take four months of vacation if he is elected. Lazy Édouard Philippe? Not sure. What if this idea was simply the best of the entire campaign? Let's explain.
An interval, a pause, a truce…
In the United States, two and a half months pass between the election of the president and his official inauguration. A time partly dictated by indirect voting, which forces Americans to vote for electors, who will then be responsible for electing the president. A period of latency during which the outgoing government manages current affairs, giving the new president time to get his bearings. “It’s not a vacation!” It is a period which allows the one who is elected to fit into the costume and adjust it. This gives him time to consult to find out who he wants to surround himself with, but also to analyze the scores of his competitors. For me, it would really be a good idea,” analyzes Bruno Cauvrai.
The political scientist and researcher at the Sciences Po Political Research Center (Cevipof) delivered, with other brains from the Montaigne Institute, a report tracing “the new paths of civics”. The tenth proposition said this: “The almost immediate sequence between the election and the entry into office of representatives contributes to a form of institutional haste. »
Recommendation of the authors: “Establish an interval between the election and the actual start of the mandate. » Bingo! According to the Montaigne Institute report, this break would “cool down the democratic time”, marking “a clear break between electoral competition and the exercise of the mandate. » Instead, France is acting urgently, under media and popular pressure. A choice which “fuels citizen distrust”, according to the institute.
“This vote obliges me” and therefore required reflection
For Bruno Cautres, this break time would be all the more essential today, when “political life is very fragmented”. Once elected, does the new president take the time to analyze his victory? When Emmanuel Macron declared “this vote obliges me” following his victory against Marine Le Pen in 2022, he promised to be the president “of all French people”. Was it? “He knew that many people who had voted for him did not validate his program, that they were voting against Marine Le Pen rather than for him. He would have needed time to reflect to analyze what had happened,” continues the political scientist. Four years later, it is not certain that the president has followed through with the idea.
But what to do during this political truce? The best idea would be to train future ministers, rather than sending them to the pits two days after their appointment.
“We must give time to the team that will lead the country to gradually settle in. The administration can also take the time to prepare, senior officials will adapt, notes Bruno Cauvrai. This time would allow the entire democratic system to absorb the color, policy of the new executive. It's a real subject. »
A real subject that Édouard Philippe's opponents preferred to gloss over by accusing him of wanting to take a vacation. It's much easier than thinking about the question.
