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As Minister for Offensive Culture, she appeared on stage several times until the fall, a year and a half after her appointment – her intervention at Molières in spring 2023 had impressed people. A look back at the career of the woman who will be succeeded by Rachida Dati on Rue de Valois.
A few hours before the Attal government’s announcement and before its ouster from the Ministry of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak said to those around her: ” I regret nothing. “ What exactly do you regret? To have been there? Because he contradicted the President of the Republic on the immigration law? or the Depardieu case? A year and a half after her appointment, the person concerned wanted to remain loyal to the person who had driven her to the Rue de Valois. Wasted effort: his departure was registered on Thursday in favor of the former LR mayor of 7e district of Paris, Rachida Dati, who will take the torch.
Since she was not elected and held a prominent but not sovereign portfolio, Rima Abdul Malak began her term in the executive branch by implementing Emmanuel Macron’s major projects. Above all, the opening of a French-speaking town in the castle of Villers-Cotterêts (Aisne) and the recording of the culture pass. Because she works hard and travels a lot, she will manage to push forward some specific issues, such as the refund law or the streaming tax. Better yet, it will be possible to maintain some form of harmony in these normally flammable cultural environments.
Rejection by the President
But it is with the President of the Republic himself with whom she will have difficulties, first in connection with the Depardieu affair and then in connection with the immigration law. Amid the controversy over the actor’s crude comments during a trip to North Korea a few years ago, recently broadcast by France 2, the minister distances herself from this monster of French cinema. During a trip on December 15th, she initially said to herself “disgusted”and believes that the actor is fine “Shame for France”. That same evening she insisted that a “Disciplinary proceedings” was initiated by the Grand Chancellery of the Legion of Honor, which is considering withdrawing Depardieu’s award. Three days later, the president’s denial on France 5 was devastating: “We do not strip an artist of the Legion of Honor based on a report.”explains the president, who accuses his minister of speaking too quickly and adds that the actor is doing the opposite: “Proud France”. That’s enough to put her former advisor in his place in front of millions of viewers.
The coup de grace between Emmanuel Macron and Rima Abdul Malak will come a few days later over the immigration law. Behind the scenes, six left-wing ministers, including Rima Abdul Malak, say they do not agree with this text, which was largely rewritten by the right-wing LR. Against the backdrop of the Lebanon War, Abdul Malak emigrated to France with his family and justified his – partial – resistance with his past. Even though she denies on her Instagram account that she has threatened or considered resigning, the damage is being done. In politics, and even more so in Macronia, you do not bite the hand that fed you with impunity. Especially if you’re not a political heavyweight.
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