Season 1
4 episodes · 2008
A four-part documentary series. All of France's Prime Ministers from the past 40 years, with the exception of Jacques Chirac, answer the same questions in a studio setting. Each in their own style, they testify about their experience, from their appointment to their resignation. Archival footage is used to illustrate their accounts.
1The Antechamber
This first episode focuses on the behind-the-scenes of a Prime Minister taking office: the appointment, the handover, the personal dynamic with the President of the Republic, the formation of the government, and the choice of residence. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Alain Juppé, Edith Cresson, Raymond Barre, and other former heads of government provide their testimony.
2The Office
Described by Raffarin as a true "arbitration machine," Matignon is a daunting place where the Prime Minister's field of action is mined. 12 former Prime Ministers testify about the budgetary situation upon their appointment, the sheer scale of the task at hand, and the "intellectual agility" that, according to Jospin, one must possess.
3The Corridors
In this third episode, the focus turns to human relationships, and more specifically, the always-complex dynamic between the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic—whether the two are friends or political rivals. According to Michel Rocard, "the chemistry is unique to each pair."
4The Vestibule
The end of their term approaches... In this final episode, 12 former Prime Ministers speak on unpopularity, the importance of polls, the French identification of power with the sacred, the difficulty for a woman to attain power, and the relationship between the government and the media. The head of government: loved, rejected, hated...