” I decided to quit the political life. I’m going to resign my mandate as senator in the coming weeks. This decision is well thought through. “Who would have thought, January 16, 2018, that the Didier Guillaume, who published these lines on his profile Facebook would land, nine months later, day for day, nearly hour for hour, at the ministry of Agriculture to replace Stéphane Travert ? Person. Neither to the left nor to the right. Not even him. Neither in the old world, nor in the new. To what, to whom, the former president of the socialist group in the Senate, vice-president of the upper house under the Hollande presidency, does he have this opportunity ? Opinions differ, but at the bottom, overlapping.
For some critics, including former friends, Didier Guillaume owes its salvation ministry, his greed. On 16 January 2018, therefore, may be weary of the work of parliament, probably also disillusioned by the collapse of the socialist Party, this lover of the oval ball announces his withdrawal from political life to take on a new challenge : take the head of the public interest Group of the rugby world Cup France 2023. A position less exposed, probably more entertaining. But, also, just honorary… and therefore voluntary. This aspect, that he did not suspect, the cools and causes it to give up. “No question of simply cutting ribbons, I am a man of action “, is justified there. The Drômois returns to the Senate, but changes the chair : the former campaign manager for Manuel Valls during the primary of the left, openly Macron-compatible, leaves the socialist group to settle on with the Radicals. “It happens a few times that the food issues take precedence over ideological considerations. Politicians are human beings like the other… ” joked Bernard Poignant, the ex-mayor of Quimper and a former adviser to intimate to Francois Hollande. Didier Guillaume pulls of the episode a new reputation as unflattering, as well as of the enmities in his old family.
Worse, this false start leads to the former mayor of Bourg-de-Péage a deep ill-being, coupled with the “heavy family problems,” says one of his close friends. “It was at the bottom of the hole, says Jean Glavany, former minister of Agriculture of Lionel Jospin, whose Didier Guillaume was the advisor to rue de Varenne. The services of the State and the French Federation have been lied to ! They had told him that it was paid. Do not believe that Didier was proud to have finally refused : it was shameful to come back tail between the legs, he had collapsed to be contradicted, as he had announced his withdrawal to all the inhabitants of the Drôme. He knew it would be a terrible blow to its credibility. “Then, in addition to this sadness, is this not also, ultimately, to those who would have held out for a salary that William owes its morocco as expected ? “It is true that it is a funny paradox. It is a spin of destiny, ” concludes Glavany with tenderness.
Real frustration
of course, before you do anything else, it is because of prince that Didier Guillaume must enter government. After the many refusals which he had to deal with in other portfolios, Emmanuel Macron could not choose best candidate for Agriculture in its limited pool, because it is perhaps the one that wanted it the most. “The dream for five years “, gliding the boss of the senators LREM François Patriat. Jean Glavany, confirms : “given its close proximity with François Hollande and Manuel Valls, it has really hit its objective of finger : to become minister of Agriculture, where it would have been more operational in view of his experience by my side. But this never happened, and it was a real frustration for him. “
In fact, rare are those who question the skills of the rhône-alpes almost sexagenarian, extremely plodder for some, with a great character and a sense of leadership to the other. “This is an area on which he has always taken part in the debate, always brought his knowledge during our group meetings,” says her friend, Samia Ghali, senator, socialist Bouches-du-Rhône, which ” strongly hopes that it will succeed “. François Patriat, whose thought often prolongs that of the head of State, plussoie : “He knows the agricultural world, he has already worked on these records with Stéphane Le Foll (minister of Agriculture during the quinquennium Holland, editor’s NOTE), and he is very attentive to the unions. “
man of the terroir
Really ? Or too much, as the accused often Stéphane Travert ? From this point of view, it seems that Emmanuel Macron has taken a number of against-the foot in this reshuffle at the Hotel de Villeroy, by appointing an ex-socialist may be more tied to environmental issues. “Thanks to Didier Guillaume, when he was the president of the socialist group, the law of energy transition for green growth was passed in the Senate, said mp LREM eco-François-Michel Lambert, however, very little enthused by the renewal of the government team. I just hope they will not question… “The old socialist, according to the ex-mp vallsiste Philippe Doucet,” love the wine of the highest quality, invests in vineyards that are natural, and therefore may not be as sensitive to the ecological question “. And, faith of Jean Glavany, he will be able to be firm with the lobbies ! “It will not knees morning, noon and night in front of the FNSEA, I can tell you ! It is capable of a lot of courage, and that is what I will expect of him. “And, nothing to spoil, Didier Guillaume may be able to reduce one of the blind spots in the current macronisme : its relationship with the so-called” territories “. Mayor, general councillor, regional councillor, senator, “he made every year an excellent stand of the Drôme, at the Salon of agriculture,” notes François Patriat. There is no doubt that the two heads of the executive will take advantage of its wide network of local elected officials.
Finally, nothing to spoil the entrance of this ex-heavy weight of the PS to the government brand the – light – opening requested by some officers of the macronie. Close to the head of the State, who has travelled in the socialist country, and who still has in her throat the fake departure of William nine months ago, boasts even to have supported his name : “I had all the reasons to say no, and I said yes. Because tactically, it has to be said, it is well-played… ”
