The government of Elisabeth Borne is struggling to make itself known. With the exception of a few faces identified as those of Bruno Le Maire or Éric Dupond-Moretti, the vast majority of ministers remain under the radar.
A few figures that are unlikely to boost the morale of ministers as the holidays approach. If certain heavyweights of the government are known, most of them remain very poorly identified.
Among the “stars” around Elisabeth Borne known to those interviewed in a Odoxa-Backbone survey for Le Figarothere is first the tenant of Bercy, Bruno Le Maire, who is better known than all of his colleagues.
The Mayor and Dupond-Moretti in the lead
89% of respondents say they “know this minister well and know what position he holds” or “have already heard of him” without precisely identifying his functions.
The Minister of the Economy is closely followed by Éric Dupond-Moretti at Justice (88%), probably best known for court cases that he defended during his career as a lawyer only for his mandate at Place Vendôme.
Olivier Véran, now government spokesperson, also has 88% of French people who know his name or know how to link him to the right ministry. The former neurologist gained notoriety during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic when he headed the Department of Health.
Pap Ndiaye and François Braun unknown
Gérald Darmanin at the Interior (87%), Gabriel Attal at Public Accounts (81%) and Marlène Schiappa (Associative life, 81%) are also doing well.
Behind these headliners, it’s a tumble. Pap Ndiaye who occupies the Ministry of National Education, a position generally very exposed, is identified by only 67%, followed by Sébastien Lecornu in the Armies (55%).
François Braun, who nevertheless tries to be on the bridge with the very great difficulties of the public hospital, is only known by 44% of French people. The other ministers, sometimes very exposed, are even far from 50%.
Despite the SNCF strike, Beaune little identified
Olivier Dussopt, the Minister of Labor who will carry the explosive pension reform is only known to 36% of French people. Same observation for Christophe Béchu who must bring ecological issues to the government in the face of the acceleration of climate change (34%).
The news does not necessarily make it possible to stand out either. On the eve of an SNCF strike over the Christmas weekend, Transport Minister Clément Beaune is known to only 33% of those questioned, as is Catherine Colonna, the boss of the Quai d’Orsay, very busy with the conflict in Ukraine (39%).
Good last: Isabelle Rome of this ranking. The Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men is nevertheless supposed to embody the great cause of the five-year term (26%).
What to worry Elisabeth Borne who could really need faces to defend the government at the approach of a social return which promises to be explosive, between inflation which should continue to rise, the end of the rebate at the pump and pension reform.
