In the Ambient Chaos, Lucie Castets Keeps Her Cool – Libération

Alexandra Schwartzbrod’s editorial

While Emmanuel Macron continues to prolong the suspense, the candidate of the New Popular Front for Matignon answered the questions of “Libération” without flinching. She is said to be inexperienced? She is pugnacious.

We are starting to get to the hard stuff and it is high time. Between the attempts of some to torpedo the New Popular Front from the inside and the ambitions of a few old figures from the left or right who already see themselves at Matignon, the confusion is total. And this must not displease Emmanuel Macron who loves nothing more than to emerge out of the night, like the horseman in the soap opera, galloping towards adventure, convinced that he is the only one who can put order into all this mess. Normally, things should be clearer by the end of the week, but we can trust the head of state to make the pleasure of hot coals last a few more days after his scheduled meetings, Friday August 23, with the party leaders.

We already wanted to take a close look at the one that the NFP is proposing for Matignon in order to find out if she feels able to resist the multiple pressures of those who, from LFI to the Macronists, would like to see her dilute in the atmosphere. And, frankly, for someone that no one knew before the summer, Lucie Castets is quite impressive. She answers all the questions, without flinching and without dodging. The lunar proposal made by LFI to dismiss the head of state? She brushes it aside (“this is not the most credible option”). The intention, still of LFI, to apply “the program and nothing but the program” ? She tempers. “We will have to take steps towards others, based on our proposals”The minimum wage of 1600 euros, which she seemed to back down on? «This remains a goal that we will hold.” The resigning government that is quietly preparing the budget? “Irresponsible”she snaps. In short, her project holds up, we can reproach her for her inexperience but not her determination or her investment in the mission entrusted to her. And when we see how some experienced politicians behave, we say to ourselves that inexperience, sometimes, can have its good points.