Paris (France) (AFP)

Decided to launch before July 14 a new phase of his quinquennium, Emmanuel Macron will consult in all directions, in the hope of "co-building" the post-coronavirus, a bet less than two years from the presidential election.

After leaving his Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on the front line for deconfinement, the Head of State, still unpopular, will take the initiative to present "a new era" of his mandate, according to those around him.

In the meantime, far from microphones and cameras, Emmanuel Macron is conducting "consultations of all kinds, anonymous or known, Parisian and territorial" to "take the pulse, listen to proposals, compare ideas and share a diagnosis with many players", underlines an adviser.

He thus gathered this week at the Elysée the presidents of the three assemblies (National Assembly, Senate, Cese) then the social partners. He asked the first ones by mail to give him proposals within a month to "trace new perspectives, redefine solidarity, draw a new horizon" in a "process of national harmony".

And he should soon meet with associations of local elected officials and former presidents of the Republic and prime ministers, among others.

These exchanges will culminate in early July, so as to "step over" the second round of municipal elections on June 28, which promises to be painful for the presidential party, in a format (speech, press conference ...) still unknown.

The equation is difficult because he does not want to "renounce or renounce" the spirit of the beginning of his mandate.

This new period will mark "a revival" of its policy rather than "a radical aggiornamento" and will be based on "the original ambitions of macronism adapted to the constraints" of the health and economic crisis, specifies his entourage.

The President of the Republic will have to convince very skeptical French people about his ability to "reinvent himself": 73% of them want him to change his policy but 69% are convinced that he will not do so, according to an Odoxa poll published this week.

Above all, they await announcements on specific issues, starting with the economic recovery, job protection and the "massive plan" promised for the hospital, renamed "Ségur de la Santé", whose negotiations are due to be concluded in early July.

The French are waiting for him to keep this promise: 61% think that there will be a revaluation of the salaries of caregivers, as he undertook.

After having presented the "auto plan", Emmanuel Macron should also announce himself soon a plan to support aeronautics and measures to help trade and crafts.

- "Open" sovereignty -

"Certain sections" of the much contested pension reform, suspended with the health crisis, could be resumed, in particular those providing for redistribution.

As he announced in March, the head of state also wants to promote a "new sovereignty", in particular by encouraging companies to relocate to France. But this sovereignty must be, according to him, "open", at the same time "national and European", contrary to that of the sovereignists, specifies an adviser.

It should also insist on ecology by relying on the proposals to be finalized on June 21 by the 150 citizens drawn by lot from the Climate Convention. And which he said was ready to submit some to a referendum.

"The next world will be resolutely ecological. I am committed to it," Emmanuel Macron tweeted Friday evening, assuring: "we have a historic opportunity to rebuild our economy and our society on new foundations, to reinvent ourselves, to invest in a low-carbon future. "

Frequently accused of being too vertical, Emmanuel Macron displays his desire to find a form of national unity, after 18 months of social crisis in which the movement of "yellow vests" has been linked, record strikes against pensions and the crisis in Covid-19.

Emmanuel Macron wishes in particular to give more powers to local authorities, with a new decentralization and a wider power sharing. "This is one of the lessons from the crisis, during which many initiatives came from the field," said those around him.

There remains the question, raised more and more openly, of a possible reshuffle. "It is premature. The president will decide, in fine, when the consultations are finished (...) if the new project requires to change" the government team, underlines an adviser.

Two-thirds of French people want a reshuffle, according to an Odoxa poll. But by keeping Edouard Philippe Matignon, whose popularity has rebounded lately and surpassed that of the Head of State.

leb-jri / ib / cb

© 2020 AFP