Michel Barnier successfully operated on a cervical lesion and back at work

On the weekend of October 26, the Prime Minister underwent surgery to treat a “cervical lesion”, according to an official statement issued by Matignon. In a rare gesture of transparency, the Élysée informed President Emmanuel Macron, National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, Senate President Gérard Larcher, ministers and parliamentary group leaders.

A speedy recovery despite a hectic schedule

Michel Barnier’s doctor said that the operation “went very well” and that further tests were expected in a few weeks. Although this announcement coincides with the examination of the State and Social Security budgets, Matignon assures us that the Prime Minister “resumed his activities normally as of Monday”. He is expected to make his first public reappearance on Thursday, during the Council of Ministers, although he will not be taking part in the government question sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

State secrecy: the health of senior officials kept under wraps

Traditionally, senior representatives of the French state are very discreet about their state of health. In 2009, Nicolas Sarkozy’s vagal malaise while jogging was made public by the Élysée Palace, and Jacques Chirac’s stroke was only revealed after information was published in the press. François Mitterrand, on the other hand, waited 11 years before revealing his prostate cancer. This press release on Michel Barnier’s operation thus underlines a more open approach to communication, while remaining measured about the private lives of government officials.