Macron puts on his "retired" president's clothes

No big speech, no announcements, no exchange with the press: the head of state, very isolated since the dissolution of the Assembly and the political earthquake that followed, has put on his presidential clothes in the background, leaving, for once, the new right-wing Prime Minister in the front line.

"Scent of cohabitation", "demanding coexistence": the Elysée has promised a new era after the defeat of the presidential camp in the legislative elections, while the Macronists, associated with the Republicans, are preparing to be re-elected to the government.

There is a "desire for change and alternation", it is assured, even if many question the capacity of the head of state to take a step back and no longer encroach on the government after seven years of hyper-presidency.

For this highly symbolic trip, Emmanuel Macron chose to inaugurate an innovative vaccine and biomedicine factory in Neuville-sur-Saône (Rhône) near Lyon.

He arrived alone on the site, which represents an investment of 500 million euros from Sanofi and the State.

No minister accompanied him as Michel Barnier continued his consultations to try to find the most stable majority possible and form a government.

"Ambition" and "constancy"

This "factory of the future", presented as unique in the world, will make it possible to produce up to four vaccines simultaneously and to reconfigure the production lines in a few weeks to manufacture others if necessary.

Traditionally, such factories have buildings dedicated to one technology or product and any change requires "several months or even years," the group noted.

This new site will thus make it possible to "rapidly increase the production of a vaccine in the event of a pandemic", assures Sanofi.

"We only achieve great things by remaining faithful to our history", "we need ambition, you had it and we had it alongside you", declared Emmanuel Macron, emphasizing Sanofi's capacity to "reinvent" itself.

"This requires this constancy and this perseverance (...) not moving from one news story to another, from one wave to another," added the head of state, as if echoing current events.

The investment, announced by the President of the Republic in the midst of the Covid crisis in June 2020 when Europe was short of vaccines, will ensure France's "health sovereignty", the Elysée stressed.

Sanofi, which missed the turn of mRNA vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic, is thus once again positioning itself in the race for innovation.

Skills Olympics

In the process, the Head of State, an ardent defender of apprenticeships, attended the opening ceremony of Worldskills 2024, a sort of Olympiad for young people in the construction, creative arts, technology and logistics sectors in a superheated Arena in Lyon.

China, Canada, Indonesia, Jamaica, France, South Africa, Switzerland... more than 70 countries and regions are participating after national selections.

Rediscovering his momentum from the Olympic Games, President Macron went to boost the morale of the French team, accompanied this time by outgoing ministers Nicole Belloubet and Catherine Vautrin as well as former Prime Minister Jean Castex, the team's sponsor.

After Lyon, Emmanuel Macron, who intends to refocus on his role as "guarantor" of institutions and "shelter", will attend the opening ceremony of the Council of State on Wednesday.

It was Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne who made the trip in 2022 and 2023.

On Thursday, back to politics? He will go to Le Havre, the city of his former Prime Minister and candidate for his succession, Edouard Philippe, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the city.

"It will go very well, I guarantee it," assured Mr. Philippe to deny the notorious coolness of their relations.