Marlène Schiappa, former Secretary of State for the Social and Solidarity Economy, during the military parade, in Paris, July 14, 2023. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
The phone call was late but ” warm “. After three days of waiting, Marlène Schiappa learned shortly before 3:30 p.m., Thursday July 20, through the voice of the President of the Republic, of her departure from the government team, as part of the reshuffle orchestrated by the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne. “The president called me for a long time, about thirty minutes, she says. He thanked me for my unfailing commitment for seven years. » The end of a long suspense? The Secretary of State for the Social and Solidarity Economy could hardly ignore the fate that awaited her.
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No surprise for the one who was portrayed in 2017 in “Government Arletty”. In private, the interested party evoked herself, without affect, her future life far from politics. “If I’m not, it’s not that bad”, she explained at the end of June when the rumor of a reshuffle was already swelling. Her involvement in the Marianne fund scandal had weakened her. The senatorial commission of inquiry concluded on July 6 at a « fiasco »castigating the “casualty” demonstrated by the former Minister Delegate for Citizenship in the management of the fund created on her initiative in 2021, after the assassination of Samuel Paty.
On May 4, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office opened a judicial investigation for “misappropriation of public funds through negligence”, “breach of trust” and “illegal taking of interests”. “It’s time for Marlene to go”sighed at the start of the week Laurent Marcangeli, leader of the Horizons deputies in the Assembly, annoyed by the « buzz » and the “com shots” of the Secretary of State, who, according to him, embodies a form of “political vulgarity”.
Political resurrections
Until the last minute, the office of the former secretary of state for equality between women and men dreamed of a way out. The meetings at the ministry were linked, and the forties promised a “studious summer”. A trip to Aveyron was even scheduled for Monday July 24th. Why not hope?
On June 11, Elisabeth Borne judged that he was not ” necessary “ to separate from Marlène Schiappa. And Emmanuel Macron has often thwarted the forecasts, confirming in office the Keeper of the Seals, Eric Dupond-Moretti, despite his indictment for “illegal taking of interests”. Cooked, she? “Sometimes the chef makes a mistake in the cooking time”warned the deputy of Paris Gilles Le Gendre, recalling that the ex-secretary of State had worn so “flamboyant” the theme of equality between women and men during the first five-year term.
You have 58.8% .. “”.