After nearly eight years at the Élysée Palace as Secretary General, Alexis Kohler is preparing to turn the page. One of the most powerful men in the Fifth Republic, discreet but essential in the Macron apparatus, will leave his post in mid-April. This departure marks the end of a decade of close collaboration with Emmanuel Macron, which began at the very beginning of his career at the Ministry of the Economy. An exceptional period at the head of the General Secretariat of the Élysée, marked by rare longevity – he surpassed Dominique de Villepin and rose just behind Jean-Louis Bianco.
A faithful among the faithful succeeds him
To succeed him, the President chose Emmanuel Moulin, a seasoned senior civil servant, former Director of the Treasury, Chief of Staff of Bruno Le Maire at Bercy and then from Gabriel Attal to Matignon. The handover will be gradual: Moulin is due to join the Élysée Palace in the coming days for a “tuilage” with Kohler, before taking up his duties in full. This orderly transition confirms the Kohler method: rigor, discretion and anticipation.
The former secretary general, often described as the unofficial "vice-president" of Macron's party, is leaving office with a sense of self-conscious weariness. Worn by media and parliamentary exposure—particularly the Benalla affair and his Senate hearing—and weakened by ongoing legal cases, he has quietly chosen to join the private sector, true to his style. Emmanuel Macron hailed him as "exemplary" and "essential to collective action."
Behind the scenes, Alexis Kohler has weathered all the storms of the Macron era: yellow vests, the Covid crisis, international wars, unpopular reforms... He has been one of the most consistent pillars of the five-year term, to the point of embodying for many the technocratic matrix of power. His loyalty, his sense of state, and his interpersonal skills have made him a central figure, respected even beyond Macronist circles.
By appointing Emmanuel Moulin, the head of state is banking on the continuity of an experienced profile, an expert in the workings of budgets and government. It's also a way to lock down the system ahead of the end of the five-year term and maintain control over the implementation of reforms. Alexis Kohler's departure marks a major turning point for Macronism. His successor will have the difficult task of continuing this unseen work without fail.
