Emmanuel Macron calls on the government to "discipline its speech" after a dispute over renewable energy

The exchange of words between ministers reached the top of the executive: Emmanuel Macron reprimanded his Prime Minister, François Bayrou, and called on the government to "discipline its speech" on Thursday, July 3. after public quarrels over renewable energy, against a backdrop of presidential ambitions and the weakening of the head of government.

The Prime Minister "must lead his government" and the ministers "must take care of the policies they are pursuing," declared the President of the Republic on the sidelines of a trip to Aveyron. Referring to the presidential election, Mr. Macron assured that there would be "time for debates, for programs," but believes that "there is time for the government of France" and "each minister must take care of the matters for which he is appointed."

Unusually, François Bayrou spoke at the same time as Emmanuel Macron on BFM-TV, and initially called on his ministers to cultivate "a spirit of responsibility" to express themselves "with a little more nuance." Then, when questioned about this direct reprimand from the head of state, he explained that he had "wanted a government of heavyweights" that could not be led "like a child's class," and denounced "internal campaigns, political movements ." But "it is [he] who decides," he assured, denying any chaos, since the subject of renewable energies "is an arbitrated subject. There will be renewables."

However, just before heading to Matignon on Wednesday evening for an aperitif intended precisely to smooth over the divisions within the government's common core, the head of the presidential Renaissance party, Gabriel Attal, criticized Bruno Retailleau on X. The Minister of the Interior, and new president of the Les Républicains (LR) party, had just called for an end to "public subsidies" for wind and photovoltaic power in an op-ed published in Le Figaro and co-signed with François-Xavier Bellamy and Julien Aubert.

An " incomprehensible historical and scientific misinterpretation (...)", declared the former Prime Minister and leader of the presidential camp's deputies. "Populism" , thundered a little later the Minister (Renaissance) of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, accusing her colleague of wanting to "recover votes on the right and beyond" and questioning his "seriousness" .

With Roquefort producers, the head of state sided with his party's leaders. "We need renewable energy," he declared, calling for "an end to whims" and caricatures. Bruno Retailleau justified his decision on the sidelines of a trip to Libourne, in Gironde, explaining that he had joined the government "to avoid chaos" but remaining faithful to his ideas.

Relations between the leaders of the common core parties are becoming increasingly strained as three of them, Gabriel Attal (Renaissance), Edouard Philippe (Horizons) and Bruno Retailleau (Les Républicains), are aiming to run for president and are seeking to stand out.

The equation is further complicated by the fact that Mr. Retailleau is both a government heavyweight and the president of LR. And, as such, he is likely to speak out on his colleagues' issues. The differences are also spreading because Prime Minister François Bayrou appears weakened.