Benalla case: Emmanuel Macron's "J'assume"

Carefully cleaning up his surprise effect, Emmanuel Macron came out with a fanfare of his silence, calling himself loud and clear as the "only responsible" scandal that mobilizes all oppositions and paralyzes the Republic since close One week ago

The mood threatened to be gloomy, however, this Tuesday evening, the traditional pot of parliamentary end of the deputies and senators of the majority LREM-MoDem. They had met at the Assembly House in the Latin American gardens, at the end of a new day entirely dominated by the affair. During the questioning session in the government and then before the parliamentary commission of inquiry, we spoke only of that, the opposition giving their heart to denounce the protections and privileges granted to Alexandre Benalla. Frightened by the repercussions of the crisis, several elected representatives of the majority no longer hid their anxiety.

It was for them a real relief to see the President of the Republic appear unexpectedly, alongside the leader of LREM deputies Richard Ferrand. Stubbornly silent, he had made it known the day before that he would speak only "when he thought it useful", suggesting that it was not for tomorrow … Tuesday evening, a few privileged people had been put in the secret. Others kept hoping to see the head of state unloaded at their end-of-session pot as he had done last year, at the same time.

"Let them come [me] Chercher »

Passing very quickly on the balance sheet and the prospects of his project of « transformation », Macron devoted two thirds of his intervention of a half-hour to the consequences of the questioning of his former bodyguard. "The one who trusted Alexandre Benalla is me, the President of the Republic. The one who knew and validated the order, the sanction of my subordinates, it's me and nobody else […] You can not be a leader in good weather and escape when the weather is difficult, he hammered before concluding: "If they want a leader, he is before you, they come to get him."

"You can not be a leader in good weather and escape when the weather is difficult" – Emmanuel Macron #AFP pic.twitter.com/NaqPemY5B3

– Agence France-Presse (@ afpfr) July 24, 2018

This typically Macronian bragade has angered the opposition politicians, whom "they" could designate. The LFI member Alexis Corbière sees "an arm of honor in Parliament and the People" while the MP LR Aurélien Pradié denounces "the little morgue" of a president "Immature" .

Before his majority, Macron blasted "the republic of the fuses", affirming that it was not question for him of "sacrificing officials and collaborators on the altar of popular emotion. " How he closed the speculations of observers and politicians who were betting in recent days on the identity of lampists who would be sacrificed.

Macron "assumes" so the simple layoff of 15 days inflicted on Benalla, considering that this sanction was, "at that time", proportionate to the fault. A few hours earlier, his chief of staff Patrick Strzoda had however explained to the commission of inquiry that he intended to assume "only" this lenient sanction, assuring even having "never spoken with the head of state who was then 10,000 km in Australia. Reacting to this statement, the president of the Socialist Group in the Assembly Valérie Rabault said she was in favor of the hearing of the President of the Republic by the commission of inquiry, joining a request of MPs Insoumis and Benoît Hamon. It considers that there is "contradiction" between the words of Macron and his chief of staff, both appearing to dispute the privilege of assuming the decision taken after the demonstration of May 1.

"An immense relief"

Concerning Benalla, the president affirmed, "whatever happens in this affair", that he did not forget the militant who "accompanied him during the campaign with great courage and commitment. " But he claims to have felt "as a disappointment and betrayal" his behavior on May 1: "An individual drift" and not "a state affair". Ironifying the "nonsense" heard in recent days in the mouth of "parliamentarians" or "journalists" Macron had been keen to bring, under the laughter of his troops, this preliminary precision: "Alexandre Benalla has never held the nuclear codes, Alexandre Benalla has never occupied a flat of 300 m2, Alexandre Benalla has never had a salary of 10,000 euros, Alexandre Benalla was never my lover. "

Late in the evening of Tuesday, the elected officials of the majority hailed in chorus speech " worthy " and " brave " they had just heard. Surrounded by several members of government visibly marked by the test of the last days, the president appeared to them surprisingly relaxed. LREM MP Aurore Bergé found it "serene and determined" . His colleague Gabriel Attal believes that "assuming", the head of state demonstrates that one would have "changed model" : one had to be "formatted in a republic of cowardice " as it is according to him the elected representatives of the opposition, to believe that he would go to make payment of the lamistes. Same enthusiasm and optimism at the vice-president of the group LREM Gilles Le Gendre. According to him, Macron would have "purged the controversy" by appointing himself as responsible: "It takes back all those who bet he was going to shirk." For the deputy of Paris, it is a "immense relief." He is not far from claiming that the crisis would already be over. Reflection made, it is said that "thundering noise" oppositions these last days was rather "an admission of weakness", the clatter used to hide the fact that they were missing "serious angle of attack justifying a state affair"

Alain Auffray