Éric Dupond-Moretti, defence lawyer, will be Minister of Justice - French lawyers rejoice, the Germans have reason to be surprised once again! #LostInTranslation... #
First surprise, a lawyer becomes Minister of Justice, a rarity in France. It is only the third time that a lawyer has been appointed Minister of Justice since the beginning of the Fifth Republic. His distinguished predecessor, Robert Badinter, was the one who pushed for the abolition of the death penalty. In Germany, on the other hand, both the current Minister of Justice, Christine Lambrecht, and her predecessor, as well as about a dozen other Ministers of Justice before her, have been active as lawyers.
Second surprise: the lawyer in question is a criminal defence lawyer. Eric Dupond-Moretti - known as "acquittator" (the "acquitted"), after a play on words in which "terminator", the name of the drug "mediator", which led to a successful trial, and the verb "acquitter" ("to acquit") are mixed together in allusion to his successes - is therefore used to fighting in courtrooms based on the French model, far different from the German conciliatory justice.
Thirdly, this new minister is known for his harsh criticism and remarks about judges. "A declaration of war on judges," according to the Union syndicale des magistrats. In fact, #EDM recently filed a complaint against the financial prosecutor's office after finding himself under surveillance, and does not hesitate to speak of the "Republic of Judges". The current relationship between lawyers and judges is also extremely tense, as Vincent Nioré, the so-called "lawyer of lawyers" who normally defends lawyers when their offices are searched, has been the subject of disciplinary proceedings initiated by the Paris prosecutor's office.
Fourth surprise: #EDM has also openly opposed the pension reform supported by the previous government Edouard Philippe, which the new government is expected to complete.
In short, the choice fell on a man of compromise!...!...