When he was appointed Minister of the Interior on October 12, Laurent Nuñez could have been at a disadvantage compared to his predecessor. How to replace Bruno Retailleau, the lightning-fast interior minister who became president at supersonic speed? The LR leader has imposed his sharp words and defensive stance on a country strained by insecurity. Nuñez presents himself as the opposite: a “operational minister, without presidential ambitions”.
At 61, this senior official well-versed in the mysteries of State plays the role of an anti-tribune, preferring action to posture, concreteness to rhetoric. And it’s clear that the first weeks support his method. The quick hunt for the Louvre thieves – despite the slow pace of looting –, the two neutralized plans of attack, the release of Boualem Sansal and the beginning of the warm-up with Algiers: so many signals that shaped his style, simple, strict, almost clinical.
In the Beauvau house, we get to know the characters: tax inspector, sub-prefect at Vesoul then at Bayonne, police prefect in Marseille and Paris, intelligence coordinator, state secretary Christophe Castaner. The “pro”, of course a little techno, but purely a State product. A man who faced drug trafficking in Marseille, managed Olympic security, endured the shock of 2015 and the surge of the Yellow Vests.
At a time when hyper-communication reigns supreme, Cyrano de Bergerac’s promotional enarque nonetheless prefers serenity to the lyrical escapism of Edmond Rostand’s hero. As Stendhal wrote, “The best style is the forgotten style.” The formula can serve as a compass for a person full of files, strict notes and quick decisions. But behind technology there is also politics. Because if he is there, it is also because of his loyalty to Emmanuel Macron, whose insecurity remains his biggest weakness in his two five-year terms. However, France has placed the issue as the city’s top priority, in a climate where far-right groups are thriving on the idea of a failed state.
Like Sébastien Lecornu, Beauvau’s new giant relies on precision, loyalty and dedication. A gentle, almost soft-spoken way of embodying authority. No hurtful sentences, no unnecessary chin nudges. Joseph Fouché, Napoleon’s minister, would approve: “The police must be alert, their leaders firm and enlightened. » Therefore, both Fouettard’s mother and the chatterbox gossip.
The challenge is: restoring trust, showing that the state is in control, and at the same time finding the line between visibility and effectiveness. Both Pasqua, Sarkozy, and Darmanin; but not Joxe or Cazeneuve either. A delicate balance that must be created.
However, the success of Nuñez’s method will depend on one important factor: time. The Bourges natives still have to make it to the spring and the Lecornu government must survive the budget vote. The former prefect knows this: serving the State requires steadfastness and perseverance. Beauvau is not a scene, it is a marathon. And to move from words to actions, what matters most is the ability to endure if he is to serve his beloved republic.
