Gilles Le Gendre announced on Thursday that he would leave office at the start of the September academic year. Struggling after defections from the majority group and a few hiccups, the leader of the LREM deputies and former journalist makes his apron.
Given the "new path" traced by Emmanuel Macron, "a handover is needed which will bring new blood to the head of our group", writes the Paris deputy to the 280 "walkers" in a letter he consulted AFP and in which it specifies taking "freely" a decision that "no one (him) imposes".
Castaner or De Rugy to succeed him?
The names of the former Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner or the former Minister of the Ecological Transition François de Rugy have been mentioned in recent times to take over the reins.
Gilles le Gendre's starting letter.
"This decision I take with complete freedom. No one imposes it on me, whether it displeases those who by personal ambition or revenge would be ready to get rid of our internal rules" pic.twitter.com/SvYUYg2M6R
Born in Neuilly, in the Hauts-de-Seine, in a Catholic family, graduated from Sciences Po and from the Training Center for Journalists in Paris, Gilles Le Gendre first made a career in the economic press, then assumed the direction communication from Fnac before setting up consulting companies.
He had succeeded in September 2018 to Richard Ferrand, who had become president of the National Assembly, and had been re-elected as the head of the majority group in the first round in July 2019. His term will end during the LREM parliamentary days of 10 and 11 September.
Leak on cabinet reshuffle
Gilles Le Gendre, 62, was weakened at the start of June after a "note" to Emmanuel Macron about a cabinet reshuffle was leaked to the press, in which he seemed to plead for a change of Prime Minister - then Edouard Philippe - and proposed a new government cast. But he had defended himself before his troops and had escaped a sanction from his peers.
Departures of LREM group elected officials - until the formation in May of a 9th political group in the left wing, then of a 10th in the right wing - had also weakened it by making LREM lose the absolute majority.
"Too intelligent, too subtle"
He had also been exposed to the taunts of public opinion at the end of 2018, when he had clumsily estimated that the executive and the majority had "probably been too intelligent, too subtle", on the question of purchasing power. Faced with criticism, this man with rimmed glasses and impeccable suits remained polite in all circumstances.
With him, the entire management team of the group, some 25 deputies he had chosen, who would have to leave. This reorganization could coincide with changes to the head of the presidential party.
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- Emmanuel Macron
- Deputy
- Departure
- National Assembly
- LREM