Jean-Yves Le Drian will become an officer of the Legion of Honor this Thursday.

Jean-Yves Le Drian finds Republic gold. It will be Thursday morning, for the presentation of the insignia of an officer of the Legion of Honor from the hands of Emmanuel Macron. The ceremony is great. After honoring Gerard Colombe in March and then Jean-Pierre Chevenment in October, the head of state sends a new signal to his social democratic wing, which some of its members say is too neglected.

“Le Drian is one of those great ministers of Hollande’s five-year term who believed in Emmanuel Macron and in the virtues of overcoming,” emphasizes a close friend of the head of state. In March 2017, the Minister of Defense of the socialist government decided on the finish line. “That ended Macron’s victory,” history recalls. The rest is known: this experienced elected official, who began his career in the 1970s (mayor of Lorient, secretary of state for the sea under François Mitterrand, deputy, president of the regional council of Brittany), was awarded the Quai d’Orsay. .

Holland was not invited

In five years in this position, he will make the equivalent of 40 world tours to speak on behalf of France. A prestigious position, but one that will remain overshadowed by Emmanuel Macron, who is keen to remain at the helm of his reserved domain. At the age of 75, there will be more than one “menhir” in the town hall. He will be surrounded by current ministers (Catherine Colonna, who succeeded him in the Foreign Office, Olivier Dussault, Gérald Darmanin, Bruno le Maire, etc.) and former ministers such as Manuel Valls, Florence Parly or even President of the Constitutional Council Laurent. Fabius.

Breton figures will also be present, such as the former head of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand, or his friend, the former mayor of Quimper, Bernard Poignan. The current president of the region, Loig Chenet-Girard, is one of the guests. Note: François Hollande was not invited by Jean-Yves Le Drian. The two men, close for decades, have not spoken to each other since Macron’s victory.

Since July, the retired politician has weakened. He finds time for himself in Rennes, where he lives. “It is important for me to control my time, everything was planned in the ministry,” he often explains to relatives. But politics always tickles him a little. The think tank Breutz Laboratory – Breton Progressives, which he created, continues to work. The association organized a conference last Sunday with Jacques Attali. “Le Drian never really wanted to leave power,” says a confidant of the head of state. He would have stayed. »