“He [Macron] is worried about the dangers ahead and wants to shore up his legacy,” a former diplomat said, while the West faces instability triggered by Russian belligerence and American unpredictability.
Macron has already tapped an ally to become the country’s top auditor despite accusations of a conflict of interest. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a sweeping reshuffle is underway that will go beyond the traditional summer envoy swaps in French embassies. More than 60 outposts are expecting to receive new ambassadors in the coming months, including in Washington, London, Berlin and Kyiv.
“Everything will be sewn up before the presidential election in May 2027,” a French ambassador told POLITICO.
The early resignation of Bank of France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau last week also clears the way for Macron to name a new individual to that post, with a six-year term, before the next election.
And Macron’s decision to replace France’s top general over the summer was partly motivated by a desire to have a strong voice in that post to face a potential National Rally president. One of them, a top military officer, said the idea was to ensure that whoever was in the role had sufficient experience that they would be respected if they tried to push back on controversial National Rally proposals — including leaving NATO’s integrated command.
The personnel moves go well beyond those of a lame-duck leader attempting to seal his place in history, said the officials who spoke to POLITICO for this article, granted anonymity to speak candidly. They argue it amounts to a clear bid to insulate French institutions from possible National Rally-induced shocks.