The head of state's press advisor, hitherto very active behind the scenes, was appointed secretary of state spokesman for the government on Sunday night.

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In Diola, a Nigerian-Congolese language, his name means "who has won a lot of fights", as indicated by a portrait made by Jeune Afrique . At almost 40 years old, Sibeth Ndiaye has already won a few. Engaged in politics for more than fifteen years, Emmanuel Macron's discreet and close press advisor was appointed secretary of state spokesman for the government on Sunday evening. She succeeds this post to Benjamin Griveaux, which aims the investiture LREM for the municipal elections in Paris.

"Very close" to the head of state. The general public discovered Sibeth Ndiaye in the documentary Behind the scenes of a victory , broadcast on TF1 after the presidential election of 2017. Interruption of interviews considered too long, management of journalists and rants when she judged the remarks of his "foal" deformed: the charismatic press adviser of the candidate appears then as one of the essential characters of the team. Interviewed by Jeune Afrique , the journalist Laurence Haïm, also involved in the campaign of the future president, described it at the time as "very close" to Emmanuel Macron.

But the political implication of Sibeth Ndiaye was born well before the emergence of En marche! and the campaign of 2017. Graduated from a DESS in health economics, the young woman has made his weapons at Unef, before joining the PS in 2002, revolted, by his own admission, by the accession of Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of the presidential election. Within the party, she holds the position of national secretary responsible for early childhood, then works with Claude Bartolone and in the cabinet of Arnaud Montebourg.

A controversial SMS in the summer of 2017. It is there that she meets Emmanuel Macron. "I met him for the first time at the Elysee," she says in an interview, always in Jeune Afrique. "He was Deputy Secretary General (...) He was a pleasant first, with a lot of humor." In addition to politics, both share a passion for literature. "I always remember with emotion that the death of my mother, he had the delicacy to offer me a book by Roland Barthes, Journal of mourning, " said the counselor, quoted by Marie-Claire. "He used me as a bedside book for many months".

The name of Sibeth Ndiaye is also associated with a controversy, triggered in August 2017 after the publication of an article duck Chained . According to the satirical weekly, the counselor reportedly replied "yes, the girl is dead" by SMS to a journalist, who asked for confirmation of the death of Simone Veil. An accusation refuted by the main interested party, who spoke to LCI a message "totally false".

The message, however, resurfaced Sunday night, the announcement of his appointment. "So, the one who said 'the girl is dead' speaking of Simone Veil is appointed spokesman of the government.Something is going well in Macronie," tweeted the spokesman Republicans Lydia Guirous.

So the one who said "the girl is dead" when talking about Simone Veil is named Spokesperson of the government. All is well in Macronie. #remaniementhttps: //t.co/3YJ31Y6LKO

- Lydia Guirous (@LydiaGuirous) March 31, 2019

This episode aside, the press advisor, so far very active behind the scenes, thus takes a public dimension in the executive, an unprecedented step in his career. "My future role with Emmanuel Macron is for him to tell you, not me," she replied in 2017 when Jeune Afrique asked about her political ambitions. Born in Senegal, naturalized French in 2016, the mother refused to see the newspaper as a "model". "If I had only one wish, it is because my career demonstrates to all those who are likely to hire or put the foot in the stirrup of a young man or a woman, that what counts it is first of all the personality and the desire to do it, "she said at the time.