There will be no social turn as JeanLouis Borloo wished

A little surprise on the timing (yesterday instead of today ' hui), a great continuity on humans and the political line: several months after announcing the "second stage" mandate, Nicolas Sarkozy has finally decided to limit the external signs of change. It renamed François Fillon at Matignon yesterday morning, even if it had contemplated all scenarios in recent weeks to find a successor. The Prime Minister is immediately recorded in "fidelity to the cap reform" designed by the head of State since 2007. There will be no "social turn", as Jean-Louis Borloo wished. The eye bolted on German competitiveness, the Executive puts forward the economic crisis to justify the continuation of reforms likely to "strengthen the growth of the economy." In the wake was presented yesterday the list of the new Government Fillon, somewhat tightened (30 members) but, there again, changes limited. After attempting to obtain a Ministry of the economy and Social Affairs, Jean-Louis Borloo, candidate for Prime Minister's Office, said package as early as the afternoon and resumed his "freedom of speech". François Fillon would have weighed so that it does not become a "Premier bis" of the Government. Then the centrists began shouting "recovery in hand RPR", Nicolas Sarkozy has decided to appoint Michel Mercier to Justice, and Maurice Leroy to the city.

Musical chairs

Among notable arrivals, Alain Juppé defence and Xavier Bertrand to work, to a villepiniste (Marie-Anne Montchamp), a representative of the diversity (Jeannette Bougrab) and the faithful Frédéric Lefebvre. Total of 9 new and 15 outgoing but, essentially, a game of musical chairs: Michèle Alliot-Marie becomes Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, ecology Minister Roselyne Bachelot, Minister of solidarity, while Christine Lagarde remains at Bercy. At the Elysee Palace, little change also: Claude Guéant remains Secretary General. In contrast, Jean-François Copé becomes the General Secretary of the UMP.

François Fillon and Jean-François Copé strong men - and rivals - the second stage, Nicolas Sarkozy for a new posture without losing its authority: this seems to be the face of the majority from this political exercise. Going to attend a balance of power between the Elysee and Matignon The question for the coming months, as Nicolas Sarkozy intends to take back from the perspective of 2012. François Fillon so wishes and has managed to impose in recent weeks. "If Nicolas Sarkozy pushed the redesign after the reform of pensions, was for user François Fillon, however he used everyone except him," was recently Jean-Pierre Raffarin. But the head of State is not pressed to the expected space. Last week, he recalled that the General de Gaulle was the head of State "the Summit" institutional of the VeRépublique. He also plans to speak this week on television to set before the speech of the Prime Minister's general policy, the road map eighteen months. CQFD: it's always Nicolas Sarkozy impulse Government policy. Several social and economic projects could be launched on this occasion.

"Duty" of reform

Certainty, in any case, it is that Nicolas Sarkozy plays roughly in the period that opens. His popularity is at an all-time low, his camp is much torn apart, the economic crisis still felt its effects. At the time where the Socialist Party accused him of having yesterday the evidence "of its weakness", the head of State wants to instead be "wise": one that chooses the continuity of the men, even though he knows he will be ridiculed for saying otherwise, who listens to his "duty" of reform rather than the sirens of the social shift, which relies on strong personalities even if they are those who can challenge. The realignment, which offers no real surprise, illustrates this new posture, but immediately raises a question: the reason and continuity can generate momentum