French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has presented his resignation to President Hollande this morning, in order to build a new government without left-wingers Arnaud Montebourg and BenoîtHamon.
The display of power is intended at suppressing dissent in the government and in the National Assembly, it involves a doctrine of shock and domination to impose austerity by every mean.eu
While the composition of the new government is still unknown, it is sure that the move of Manuel Valls is aimed at silencing the left-wingers in the Socialist Party, which have very frequently raised concerns about the austerity policies of the Socialist government. This « purge » demonstrates that the French government has definitively closed itself to dialogue and has decided that Maastricht ordo-liberalism must absolutely prevail, through fear and submission. Critics understand that aggregate demand must absolutely be supported through Keynesian policies in order to re-launch the economy.
Arnaud Montebourg has voiced very frequently concerns about austerity. He is certainly the most Keynesian in the French government, and in the past he has also used to defend a form of protectionism called de-Globalization (see http://www.eiilir.eu/global/international-relations/136-an-introduction-to-de-globalization). On August 22, in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde, which has triggered the break-up, he has condemned again Euro-zone austerity policies that create massive unemployment and block the path to economic growth.
BenoîtHamon, French Minister for Education, said in another interview, on Sunday, that he and Montebourg were « not far away from the stubborn MPs » of the PartiSocialiste (known as the « frondeurs ») who have abstained themselves when a €50 billion austerity programme was submitted to the National Assembly (they were 41 in April and 35 in July). It is likely that it is this precise declaration by the Minister for Education which triggered Manuel Valls’ display of power.
AurélieFilipetti, Minister for Culture, an ally of Montebourg, and Christiane Taubira, the highly-popular Minister for Justice, who sent a letter of support to Montebourg and Hamon during the week-end, are also said to be potential victims of the government reshuffle.
Manuel Valls is said by newspaper Le Parisien to have told Hollande “it’s Montebourg or me”. What seems likely is that Hamon and Montebourg were asked to resign but refused. Therefore Valls moved to present the resignation of the entire government to the French President, on the name of the austerity policies which Hollande and Valls have decided to implement in co-operation with the corporate elite.
147 days ago, when the last French government was formed, it seemed like Manuel Valls had agreed with rival Arnaud Montebourg to build some sort of « political couple », the first one hoping to consolidate his government, and the second one hoping to gain political influence, as he was offered the Regalian position of Minister for the Economy (he used to be « Minister for the Relaunch of the Industry » since June 2012). The couple seemed quite odd and unlikely to last for long, but the break-up has been intended by Hollande and Valls to be as shocking as possible to stress very openly their will to pursue austerity policies at any cost.
Note that the position of Montebourg did not included public finances, allocated to the much more Orthodox figure of Michel Sapin, who is believed to have the confidence of the German government.
Manuel Valls and Arnaud Montebourg have been long-term rivals in the PartiSocialiste. They competed against each other during the primaries of the PS in Autumn 2011, with Arnaud Montebourg securing 455 609 votes, or 17,19%, and Manuel Valls 149,103, or 5,63%. Manuel Valls quickly allied himself with François Hollande, even before the first turn of the primaries, by refraining visibly from making any attack against the future French President. Montebourg also decided to support François Hollande for the second turn, after writing an open letter to the two nominees.
