Always in an attempt to turn the page on pensions, Elisabeth Borne wants to regain control of the Overseas file
Since her appointment, she has never ventured so far from Paris, more than 9,000 km, 11:30 flight. Elisabeth Borne will land on the island of Reunion, Thursday May 11, learned franceinfo Monday May 8 from the entourage of the Prime Minister. Three days of visit, a “long” trip and flower necklaces as a birthday present for the Prime Minister who will celebrate her first year at Matignon on Tuesday May 16.
This is her first trip overseas, which shows how Elisabeth Borne was taken up with other subjects. Reunion is always an opportunity to send a postcard and take beautiful pictures. But beware of counter-programming: at the same time Thursday, Emmanuel Macron must, according to our information, make announcements on reindustrialization in Dunkirk, in the North.
A land to the left
Behind the scenes, the entourage of the head of state has also cringed a little. Her last trip to the Indian Ocean dates back to October 2019. This time, Elisabeth Borne wants above all to show herself on the island with the inhabitants. The Prime Minister must visit, among other things, a farm. She must talk about inflation, work, water conservation and brings in her luggage four other ministers: Marc Fesneau, Minister of Agriculture, Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transition, Olivier Klein, Minister Delegate for Housing and Jean-François Carenco, Minister Delegate in charge of Overseas.
We can not say that Elisabeth Borne arrives in conquered territory. In Reunion, the protest against the pension reform is very popular. There were still more than 2,200 demonstrators on May Day. There will therefore not only be flower garlands upon his arrival, but also pot concerts. On the island, six of the seven constituencies are in the hands of the Nupes. In the presidential election, Jean-Luc Mélenchon came out on top with more than 40% of the vote, and Marine Le Pen was ahead of Emmanuel Macron in the second round, improving his score by 20 points compared to 2017.
The Mayotte file on the table
Even the region swung to the left two years ago, after years of right-wing domination. According to our information, Elisabeth Borne will also meet one-on-one with President Huguette Bello, who is said to be very upset and who will – among other things – talk to her about Mayotte. The island is only a two hour flight from La Réunion. “Because of the proximity, the Prime Minister will talk about it”confirms Matignon.
Operation Wuambushu, to expel foreign nationals who arrived illegally, is still ongoing. An operation led by Gérald Darmanin, the powerful Minister of the Interior, who is also in charge of Overseas Territories, whom some see at Matignon and whom others say is cold with Elisabeth Borne, will not be on the trip.
