The Minister (L'Exercice de l'État)

THE MINISTER

Ministry of Transport

Yes.

Yes, Mr Prefect.

Can you give me the location again?

Of course.

Right away.

Good night, Mr Prefect.

Sorry to disturb you, sir.

A coach.

Five minutes ago.

A road in the Ardennes. The D31.

I'm afraid so.

You did the right thing, Yan.

No, not yet.

Keep me posted.

Yes, Gilles?

A lot of casualties?

Oh, dear God.

No, call the prefect first.

We can't screw up again like at Le Perthus.

We have to go there.

Arrange it with the prefect and wake Pauline.

We'll be starving tigers in the dark night.

Hello, Tintin.

Thank you.

- Still nothing? - No.

When the baby arrives, take a week off.

The first few days count a lot.

That way your wife can rest.

If possible...

It's possible. I'm for fatherly love.

- See Gilles about it. - Thank you, sir.

Minister...

It'll be a rough ride.

Here already?

And I thought we were off to the Raphael for a nightcap.

2 am, the latest news.

The accident occurred on the D31 in the Ardennes massif,

near the village of Monthermé.

The casualties treated on site include many adolescents...

You handle the crisis unit.

I said, you handle the crisis unit.

Still not quite right.

Stress the State's role as a protector,

solidarity during this exceptional ordeal...

Regional TV got there first.

Radio news and the local press too.

I'll call you after.

- Minister... - Captain...

Mr Prefect...

- How does it look? - It's atrocious.

Two girls haven't been found yet.

- Eleven dead... - Nine, sir.

Nine dead, seven of them children, and two missing.

All of them local.

Three critically injured...

Could you swap ties...

What model was the coach?

An FR2.

The colour's wrong. Change it.

The latest one?

Exactly.

Thank you.

Keep the press on the road.

We'll call your families.

Where are we going?

Calm down...

Look at me.

Lift!

Higher!

Stop!

Stop everything!

Three or four minutes.

Sandra!

Sandra! No!

My daughter!

Let me see her!

Minister, over here, please.

The Ardennes are in mourning.

My first thought tonight is for the victims,

the too numerous victims.

I should like to express my support

for the injured, the parents,

the brothers and sisters...

Our fellow citizens join me in expressing

our affection and support

for the families struck by this tragedy.

The urgency now, the reason for my presence,

is that every department of the State should unite

to provide assistance, care and comfort.

Tomorrow's urgency will be

to understand how this appalling accident occurred

and learn from it.

What caused it? High speed?

Exhaustion?

I can't favour any particular theory.

Thank you very much.

Too bad I ended with a dumb line.

You did well. Really well.

- Morning, sir. - Thank you, Kenza.

Could you bring me the latest Accident Bureau reports, please?

Yes, sir.

And send Yan in.

Yes, sir.

How's it looking?

Here's the preliminary list of victims.

Thank you.

We've got Europe 1.

RTL is the better radio.

Peralta's on RTL for his employment plan.

Europe's giving us the 8:15 am slot.

RTL is better.

Maybe not.

Le Parisien... The Prime Minister doesn't say much.

Les Echos, Le Figaro... Libération.

The back page.

Look, here you are.

That's a great photo. You look wonderful. Look.

Wonderful, huh?

Léa does good work. I'll call her.

Let's see... "Transport's Male Man".

"In six months,

"he has settled the Marseille docks' conflict,

"imposed the Lille-Turin line

"and is pulling off the ports' privatization.

"Where does his tenacity come from?

"No doubt from the harsh lands around Besançon,

"that his grandmother left by bicycle for the big town..."

Pull over! Nemrod, quick!

I'm not a water-drinker!

Fuck this!

Europe 1, the morning show.

Marc-Olivier Fogiel.

Minister, do we know now

how a coach full of children took that ridge road

in such terrible weather?

First of all,

the snow fell after the accident.

Mechanical failure then? Have you called Renault's CEO?

What I saw last night

inspires mourning

and compassion.

Also in this morning's news, the Prime Minister's job scheme.

Can you tell us more about it?

A joint national effort.

Behind the symbol, government offices

are ready to step in.

You hire a job-seeker for a period,

then what happens? Isn't it just a PR exercise?

Listen, Mr Fogiel, every day,

some very simple yet very brave things

are done in anonymity and the shadows.

Sometimes the shadows bring light.

He's doing well.

Transport privatization is due in 2010.

Have you read

the interview with the railway CEO?

A 500-million-euro loss.

Freight is a disaster. So what now?

A station reform?

I'm in a government of action and change.

You privatized shipping terminals...

That doesn't mean we'll do the same with stations.

How else do you react to this huge loss?

Mr Fogiel, I listen, I consult.

Senator Juillet is delivering his report this morning

and we'll decide as necessary.

You have no vision?

Do you privatize French railways

or keep them under State control?

We'll launch a new State plan for stations.

An undertaking?

I confirm that is the government's pledge.

No one will be left on the platform.

Excellent news.

Will you be visiting those injured last night?

I'll be visiting the worst injured here in Paris.

- Have a good day, Minister. - Thank you.

He was good. You were right to insist.

Your colleague has just rejected station privatization.

Your view as Budget Minister?

Bertrand Saint-Jean has many talents,

including that of speaking for others.

Meaning?

I believe France deserves better than life with a perpetual deficit.

Privatization of stations and other operations

is under study for a future budget.

Thank you, Minister.

Privatization would be a huge screw-up!

You speak your mind.

You agree with me.

Peralta meant a planned budget.

Nothing final.

The day I'm due to get the report,

that lackey declares,

"We're considering privatization and getting ready."

He'll regret the day he was born!

You want a denial?

Sort it out with the PM's office.