Gérald Darmanin, Justice Minister, expressed shock at Gabriel Attal's statements criticizing Emmanuel Macron's decisions. In an LCI interview, he accused the former Prime Minister of not maturing by publicly distancing himself from the president. This tension highlights divisions within the Macron camp.
Tensions are high within the Macron camp. Invited on LCI Tuesday evening, Gérald Darmanin, reappointed Sunday as Justice Minister, sharply criticized Gabriel Attal, secretary general of Renaissance. The latter had stated last week on TF1 that he no longer understands Emmanuel Macron's decisions, with whom relations have been execrable since the failed 2024 dissolution.
Darmanin expressed being 'shocked' by this jab. 'It’s a phrase that’s a bit hard to hear when he was appointed minister, prime minister, and head of the presidential party; it doesn’t make him grow up,' he said to journalist Darius Rochebin. He added: 'I don’t appreciate it when you’re the president’s party, criticizing the president publicly.' Recalling his own past disagreements with Macron, Darmanin stressed that he does not express them publicly.
This intervention follows Darmanin's announcement of his withdrawal from Renaissance and the suspension of his microparty Populaires, founded last year with the 2027 presidential election in mind. In a letter to Attal, he had condemned 'premature individual adventures for the presidential election,' which could eliminate the central bloc in favor of the RN and LFI.
Darmanin used the opportunity to claim his loyalty to Macron and urge central bloc leaders to 'stop the partisan games that tire the French.' 'We get the impression that the French are our backdrop, that we’re putting on a play, that we’re actors... What they’re going through is too important: the anxiety of unemployment, a factory closing, end-of-month difficulties, security problems,' he rebuked. He now claims to devote himself entirely to the state, closing the door on partisan activities to focus on the general interest, marking a break from his previous ambitions for 2027.