- Gérald Darmanin replaced Christophe Castaner at the Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday.
- As soon as he spoke, he wanted to reaffirm his support for the police, who for the most part no longer trusted their predecessor.
- He received the unions on Wednesday, who told him of the unease prevailing in the police ranks and asked him for more resources.
A few words from Christophe Castaner, a round of applause, a republican handshake. Then the new Minister of the Interior speaks in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Beauvau. When he officially takes office, this Tuesday morning, Gérald Darmanin knows that his words will be carefully listened to by the police, and in particular the police.
Between the latter and its predecessor, the current no longer passed. He must reassure them, regain their confidence. "Let them never doubt that I will always be the first of them," insisted the former Minister of Action and Public Accounts in his speech. A few hours later, the first French cop made his first ministerial visit to the Mureaux police station (Yvelines) where one of the two police officers killed in 2016 by a terrorist in Magnanville worked.
“It is an important symbolic visit. But there is a very great expectation on the part of the police. More than words, we now need strong actions to calm the discomfort in our ranks, "explains Stanislas Gaudon, national secretary of the Alliance union. Indeed, part of the troops did not digest the speech delivered by Christophe Castaner on the fight against racism in the police on June 8, and informed the authorities during often nightly demonstrations. "He would have stayed at Place Beauvau if he hadn't been so clumsy. This error was fatal to him. He buried himself, ”said Yves Lefebvre, general secretary of the union SGP police-FO union. "He couldn't get away with it no matter what he said or did, even if he did a lot for the cops in 20 months," he said.
"Give us real means to work"
24 hours after taking office, Gérald Darmanin received this Wednesday the trade union organizations which intended to inform him of "the deep discomfort of the police, which increased after Castaner's statements," said Patrice Ribeiro, boss of Synergie Officers. "There is a blues in the police, the blues of the blues. The working conditions are more and more difficult. They also worsened with accusations of systemic racism and police violence, he added. Darmanin knows that he must reconnect, restore confidence to the police and reaffirm his support for them. It must not stop at declarations of intent and give us real means of working. "
From this point of view, the unions welcome the arrival at Place Beauvau of this young minister - he is 37 years old - who knows the Arcane de Bercy, where he stayed for more than three years, in his pocket. "He knows where to go to get the money, he was until now Christophe Castaner's contact when the latter was negotiating," remarks Yves Lefebvre. "For us, this is an advantage, he knows which button to press when it gets stuck," adds Patrice Ribeiro, who advocates the implementation of a "Marshall plan for security". “It is an asset, also observes Stanislas Gaudon. We are in the midst of building budgets for 2021. However, the operating and investment budget has been falling for two years. He must defend a real budget for the national police. "
"He will have no state of grace"
Intervention techniques, terrorism, tense social climate ... Upon his arrival, Gérald Darmanin found many other files on his desk. The holidays of the one who is also mayor of Tourcoing will probably be studious, before a return which promises to be complicated. "He will have no state of grace," predicts Yves Lefebvre. "He will have to get very quickly into the thick of it," adds Stanislas Gaudon. Who advises him to take inspiration from "the first moments" of Christophe Castaner at Place Beauvau. "It must be remembered that during a hearing in the Senate, at the start of the" yellow vests "movement, he strongly supported the police, he said. In December 2018, he also signed a protocol allowing us to obtain compensation advances. "
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- Jean Castex
- Ministry of the Interior
- Christophe Castaner
- Gérald Darmanin
- Policeman
- Police