At the next meeting of EU energy ministers on Monday (4 March), both the French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire and Minister Delegate for Energy Roland Lescure will represent France, raising questions about the division of duties between the two men.

Usually, only one minister from each member state attends such meetings. But for this first Energy Council following the French ministerial reshuffle, the agenda for which includes preparing for next winter’s security of supply and the flexibility of energy demand, the ministers will attend together.

“Since both [Le Maire and Lescure] are in charge of energy, it was important for them to attend the first Energy Council together,” Le Maire’s team explained to Euractiv France.

Lescure has been Minister Delegate for Industry, and Energy since the beginning of February, while Le Maire has been his supervisory minister in charge of the Economy, Finance, Energy, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and therefore also Energy since the cabinet reshuffle that took place in January.

The post of the former energy minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, was dissolved in the reshuffle, with duties now split between the two men. Both are therefore entitled to attend European ministerial meetings on this topic.

However, many observers question the usefulness of such a procedure, especially as the two ministers will also be attending the nuclear alliance meeting which will be held ahead of the Energy Council.

Working in pairs

Two ministers attending the same Council is uncommon, and raises questions about the respective mandates of the ministers.

At a meeting with journalists on February 21, Lescure brushed aside the difference in roles. “When asked what Bruno [Le Maire] does, what Roland [Lescure] does – is Bruno ‘Mr. Nuclear’ and Roland ‘Mr. Solar’? – the answer is no,” he said.

“We’re going to do with energy what we did with industry: work in pairs,” he clarified.

Le Maire’s staff added on Wednesday (28 February), the day that the cabinet confirmed that the pair will be travelling together, that he “is keen to show his European counterparts and partners the synergy between his work and that of Lescure”.

Franco-German energy paper was worked on by Paris before reshuffle

Before the ministry was disbanded in the latest government reshuffle, former energy minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher was preparing a joint paper to be co-signed by her German counterpart as a show of conciliation ahead of the EU elections – though whether the paper will now ever see the light is unclear.

Two ministers for one seat

A first example of this “synergy” was evidenced at the 50th anniversary of the International Energy Agency, held in Paris on the premises of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on February 14-15.

During the event, Lescure chaired several meetings attended by international energy stakeholders. Le Maire, for his part, hosted the plenary sessions, which were broadcast live.

While this “very fluid” way of operating, according to the ministers’ entourage, justifies their coming together at a European Council, many observers of the academic and industrial world of energy doubt it.

When contacted by Euractiv France, some criticised the apparent nature of a formal operation that lacked substance: “If Bruno Le Maire only comes once, it means he was only there for the cameras,” one academic told Euractiv France. “If he comes back, it means he’s the only one in charge,” he added.

Same strategy for the nuclear alliance

The two ministers are to take the same approach to the first meeting of the nuclear alliance after the departure of its founder and former energy minister Pannier-Runacher.

Le Maire had seized the opportunity of a meeting with Bulgarian Energy Minister Rumen Radev in Paris on February 21 to announce that he would attend the nuclear alliance’s meeting. Lescure’s office confirmed to Euractiv France on Wednesday (February 28) that Radev would also be present.

The meeting is scheduled for March 4, right before the Council meeting.

It will be an opportunity to discuss, among other things, the possibility of classifying nuclear projects as being of common European interest, according to Le Maire. In this way, these projects could benefit from financing between member states, as long as they comply with a relaxed framework banning state aid.

Both the staff of Le Maire and Lescure are expected to provide further details on this forthcoming busy meeting day on Friday afternoon (March 1).

[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]

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