“Sport and culture offer great moments of sharing! » Élisabeth Borne took advantage of the European Heritage Days to test her popularity, in a “home match”. The gardens of the Hôtel de Matignon welcomed visitors all weekend (by prior reservation), but also for workshops to discover disabled sports and arts and crafts.
To embody the “Sport & Heritage” theme of this 2023 edition, the Prime Minister was flanked, Saturday afternoon, by her Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak and her Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera. The three ministers were to discover the sports and heritage workshops, greet the visitors then meet young Culture Pass beneficiaries. Instead, the Prime Minister practiced the non-Olympic discipline of shaking hands.
“We’re at her house”
As she began to greet the visitors who were waiting to take part in the disabled sports workshops, a line formed. Soon, the crowd formed only a long line along the 300 meters of paths in the gardens, up to the Matignon hotel. After a while, the “secondary” ministers slipped away, no doubt called upon to take on other obligations.
Élisabeth Borne did not shy away from her pleasure in the face to a warm, wise and polite audience. The children want to pose with her, the teenagers ask for selfies, the parents share their anecdotes and the “good luck”, “hold on” and other “we are with you” burst forth. “No, I’m not on his political side, not at all,” corrects Gérard, who has just shaken his hand with a emphatic “thank you”. At least we feel like she’s working. And today, we’re at her house, it’s not the time to mess with her. »
“I’m going to do without my left arm, it’s useless. »
No doubt galvanized by this popular welcome, Élisabeth Borne did not hesitate to try her hand at the workshops. If she skipped blind football, for disabled table tennis, the Prime Minister first thought of bandaging one arm: “I’m going to do without my left arm then, it’s useless. “. She finally opts for the chair and exchanges a few balls. Including quite a bit in the net, it must be admitted.
Then, it’s time for 5-a-side rugby, a discipline without tackling or contact. The Minister of Sports makes a series of passes with her boss who exclaims, laughing and showing her skirt and pumps, “I played with my disabilities!” »
The best honey in Paris
The stroll is also an opportunity to meet the craftsmen who work in Matignon. Laura Roubinet, responsible for the gardens, takes advantage of having her Prime Minister on hand to talk to her about the exceptional osmanthus in her park. “What?” – Osmanthus, madam. » A flowering plant “emblematic of Parisian gardens, very present in Matignon, and which must be promoted”, praises the head gardener.
A little further on, it is the manager of the Matignon hives who gives Élisabeth Borne a taste of her honey. “It’s the best in Paris,” boasts the beekeeper. After the stonecutters and the art restorers, Élisabeth Borne takes a break to respond to a continuous news channel, for a short live broadcast. Sport and heritage quickly give way to other, heavier news. Inflation, immigration, suicides of college students following school bullying… After the interview, the Prime Minister resumes her hand-shaking routine. Along the way, she tells us that there is no hierarchy, in her eyes, between the heavy topics of the news and heritage issues: “Culture is something that brings us together and therefore has capital importance especially in difficult contexts. »
Rare plants and teenagers who go to the theater
While the budgets of the various ministries are currently being decided, Élisabeth Borne is not yet quantifying this “capital importance” of Culture: “I am not going to announce the budget of the Ministry of Culture to you, the minister will do so when the time comes. But since the start of the five-year term, the culture budget has steadily increased. It seems essential to me to affirm our commitment in this direction. »
The garden marathon ends with a short meeting with young Culture Pass beneficiaries. “Did you enjoy it?” With something other than manga? » The teenagers selected for the occasion are opportunely lovers of theater and music. Élisabeth Borne justifies this publicity stunt for the Culture Pass: “We need notoriety. If you have a great device that no one knows about, the goal is not achieved. For it to work like the Culture Pass works, with young people who read, who go to shows, they have to be easy apps, and which evolve. Making the lives of young people easier is essential. Before the Culture Pass, I had already supported the “A young person, a solution” platform. We all have in mind that when we are young, things can be difficult. And it’s important to me to continue developing apps of this type. »