I am more at ease within the technopolitical

Enter a right-wing Government when it has always worked in socialist circles, it is rare they were six to agree to follow Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007. leaving early without having been won by political virus, it is still more: Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Secretary of State for European Affairs until last Friday, is the only specimen known to this day. Even Martin Hirsch, which much had worked to obtain a status in part by joining the team Fillon is not Minister but "High Commissioner for active solidarities", evokes never the possibility of a departure. It would seem even willing to take other ministerial functions.

Last weekend, Jean-Pierre Jouyet well anticipated a "slight pinch in the heart" to the idea of crossing the doors of the authority of financial markets he now chairs at the time when open, this morning to the European Parliament, the last plenary session of the French Presidency. "It was not easy to enter the Government, it is also difficult to leave," slip. But, in essence, it provides leave without regret the ors and the power conferred by a ministerial position. "Case of temperament", says: "I always thought, given my age, my profile, sacrifices that calls the policy, that it was heavy." I am more at ease within the techno-political. "At the time, he decided to at the outset that its mission the Department would be a"contract term"and now intends to focus more on his family (stepfamily, ten children). What confirms Eric Besson, he also defector from the PS: "even in the Socialist Party, even very close friend of François Hollande, Jean-Pierre preferred staying in the shadows."

Review welcomed by European circles

This "character" which immunizes it against the policy was in any case an advantage: it allows Jean-Pierre Jouyet as to Nicolas Sarkozy to play down their separation. Secretary of State just has completed its "mission for Europe." Point. Failure of the opening, there is nothing; discussions not mature on any post of European Commissioner and disappointment of another, there is nothing either. Officially. And too bad if the Chair of the MFA is perhaps not at what could not claim Jean-Pierre Jouyet. And so much worse if the circumstances of his departure a little by Sly, before even the end of the French Presidency resonate to some as a repudiation of presidential. Nicolas Sarkozy is not elaborated on the departure of his Secretary of State, merely to report these words by Luc Chatel, the spokesman for the Government: "It is a competent, honest, courageous, and moderate man." "And he is much in the success of the French Presidency," he said Wednesday at the last Council of Ministers. Minimum service. Even if Jean-Pierre Jouyet ensures that there is nothing. European circles, in any case, crying bitterly.

It must be said that the former Secretary of State is spent not counting for the technical preparation of the French immigration, package presidency climate, Cap, defence. It has also provided its paw to the proposed Union for the Mediterranean making "it euro-compatible" and the development of institutional after the "no" solutions to the Irish referendum. He worked much not to exclude the Turkey of the European game and the resumption of a dialogue between the President of the European Central Bank and the President of the Council. "I note that the independence of the ECB or the dynamism of Nicolas Sarkozy not suffered," he said. But the French Presidency in a totally changed nature when the US banking crisis erupted. Jean-Pierre Jouyet the discreet has therefore become less useful to the head of State Whether the rescue of banks or the stimulus plan, he has continued to applaud the activism presidential "I encouraged the approach and the whole of the economic and social reforms it has committed." But some in the Elysian circles note that their relationship began to cool in discussion with the Germany on the appropriateness of a "Paulson in the European plan." And particularly because of the somewhat exceeded tone used by Nicolas Sarkozy against Angela Merkel in the governmental meetings. Jean-Pierre Jouyet refuses this reading. "I do not deny that I would have said things a little differently, and the President joked me on my caution." But pay attention to our French perspective: we never wonder what are the words of the Chancellor on the French President in other circles. In Germany, the Franco-German relationship is not of this mythological character that it has here, and it is a good thing. "This relationship is major, my feeling is that nothing is in Europe without agreement between the France and the Germany," but it does not other alliances, including with the United Kingdom. In addition, "I regret that the Chancellor has not attended the 90th anniversary of the armistice: should not always put all responsibilities on the French side!", he says.

The disappointment of the President

In General, the action of the head of State during the six-month Presidency of the EU provokes a torrent of praise of Jean-Pierre Jouyet. "I was constantly surprised", provides, be it the reactivity of Nicolas Sarkozy on the Georgia or of "the manner in which he pushed the European order, that talking about European as we speak naturally, deleted codes, the volapük and traditions in Brussels." I do not say that initially I only watched not this with anxiety, but he was right. He had to give this to shoulder. "Enthusiasm on the way in which the President has made the idea of coordination of European economic policy, or on its interventions to the Parliament in Strasbourg:" speak three hours answering each question with great political sense, without notes and background: honestly, I had never seen it before! ", ignites Jean-Pierre Jouyet.

Remains a paradox, that the departure of former Secretary of State leaves around: how he can say his "admiration" for Nicolas Sarkozy not to be left to take the net of the policy Jean-Pierre Jouyet is there no contradiction, saying even, without denies, that it is because it was measured in situ "talent" presidential that he understood that it was not for him: "So much energy, I am myself that this was not the penalty to make pale copies." And, at any time during these 18 months, I thought that it could be otherwise. "But the head of State, he was known to have not given things like this. "Nicolas Sarkozy so inhabited by his passion for politics that he understands not to not be like him." "And when he likes someone, he understands even less, because it means that it has failed to convince him": this is the fact that book this heavy weight of the Government, close to the President, to explain the distance that is created in recent weeks with Jean-Pierre Jouyet. More than a divergence European or policy, it would be a human disappointment. Nicolas Sarkozy was immediately felt a real proximity with this warm and emotional man like him, courageous in his eyes because he dared to escape his family policy; It would have been disappointed to not be able to train behind him to disclose his political virus, and to see persist in the registry of the shadow. More than a failure of the opening, a personal defeat for the President.