Original subtitles

Persist.

There's nothing in the world that can replace persistence.

Not talent.

Nothing's more common than talented people who fail.

Not genius.

The unfulfilled genius

is practically proverbial,

and education alone isn't enough.

The world is full of basket cases with degrees.

Only persistence and determination

are unbeatable.

I'll start with...

It's an excuse.

No, no...

That's the introduction to my book on France at work.

Not bad, huh?

-Yeah, it's good. -Do you really think so?

Yeah, it's... it's good. It makes you want to persist.

That's the idea. Exactly.

But don't talk about it, OK?

It's going to make a lot of noise,

so not a word until it's out.

Do you want to work on the translation

or do some grammar?

It's funny. You're not at all like Camille.

-Oh yeah? -She's more aggressive.

You're more of a defense player.

Is Camille your girlfriend?

No, she's just a college friend.

I know all about college friends. Are you doing her?

Not at all. I'm just covering for her for a few days.

So, did she give you

a list of verbs for us to review together?

You know, politics is a world

drunk on pheromones.

Drunk on pheromones. Even if you're not that kind of guy,

you have to get in position. This is the wild.

The problem, as you can imagine, is the alpha males.

There are more of them in politics

than the rest of the world. That's inevitable.

Why don't we take a look at irregular verbs?

Tell me, Arnaud:

are you interested in France?

-France? -France, Arnaud.

-France? Yeah. -Yeah?

-Meaning? -Meaning what?

I've been observing you,

and I'm thinking: "Here is this brilliant kid

"with great abilities."

I'm saying to myself: "I can't let this boy go." No.

There's just the little problem

of you being a defense player, but we can work on that.

Besides that...

-Are you interested? -In what?

You're right. Let's be concrete.

By the way, you chose a good time,

with the presidential election coming up.

I heard there's a candidate

looking for someone for the primaries.

Excuse me. It's five o'clock. I have to...

Perfect! Hurry up.

Come! Hurry.

Five o'clock is the time when the animals go to the watering hole.

WE NEED YOUR VOTE A MATHIEU SAPIN FILM

The candidate already has someone.

All the right qualifications, very capable, very...

Oh, that's a shame.

Arnaud is highly motivated.

I have my own projects that I'm working on. I'm fine.

Did you know that Beressi's running?

-She is? -Yeah.

-Beressi? -Yeah.

-In the primary? -Yeah.

Who's running her campaign?

You don't know? Karadzic.

-Really? -Yeah, Karadzic.

They must have something Arnaud could do, don't you think?

The thing is, working for Karadzic,

-you've got to want it. -Oh yeah.

Does he want it?

Do you want it?

I don't know. It depends. What's Karadzic like?

So you don't know how to do anything?

-I speak four languages. -Yes, but Catherine

is running in France. And in French.

I speak French too.

And I should note that Arnaud worked in NGOs.

That's important.

And that he might be the great-grandnephew of Jean Jaures.

That's something.

I'm not sure, though, because my family's name is Jaures,

but we don't know

if it's the same branch. He was from Castres,

-and we're from Normandy. -I see.

I'm the same.

Everyone thinks I tortured people in Bosnia, but no.

Anyway, nothing's been proven.

Well, I'll leave you to it.

Arnaud. We'll...

You think that coming with your uncle means you get the job?

-Oh, no, he's not my uncle. -I believe in meritocracy, Arnaud.

Not daddy's friends.

No, I didn't ask him for anything.

OK. I came here to give him

-a German lesson... -Sit down.

Sit down.

What do you think of Catherine?

-I think she's good. -Just good?

With everything she's done for French culture?

-Yeah, that's true. -No, it's not true.

She was Secretary of State. She handled the budget.

You know nothing about France, do you?

-About France? -No, Laurene, I said no.

You can see how it could've happened.

He gets a call, tells him about Beressi...

That's what I told you.

I'm going to give him hell.

Yeah, I'll wait.

What do you plan to do with three master's degrees and two doctorates?

I'm leaving for Canada in a month.

To learn Italian?

No. I'm going to start an NGO with my girlfriend there.

We're going to help the Inuits.

Excuse me. I'm sorry.

Sorry, Laurene. I'm talking to...

my new assistant, Arnaud. Vincent dumped me. Did I tell you?

No, no warning. Anyway, he had no shoulders.

The kid knows nothing.

He does speak four languages, and his name's Jaures.

It won't get us any votes in Poitou-Charentes, you're right.

Yeah, you could say that.

Oh, no. I don't share toys.

I'll let you go.

So, Arnaud.

-Hi, Arnaud. -Hello.

Christophe Marechal, West France. Do you know if

Beressi will talk about the RDSA with the mayor of Saint-Francois-du-Gard?

The RDSA? I... I don't know.

Yeah, the RDSA.

I don't know. I'll have to ask Agnes.

I can ask her if you want.

It's OK. I'll take care of it. Thanks.

Be careful. It's hot.

-Took a while! -Yeah.

I talked to the guy from West France. He knows my name.

What'd he want?

He asked me if the meeting was about the RDSA?

-And what did you say? -That I didn't know.

-You said that? -Yeah.

I'll talk to them.

I really didn't know anything.

THE PRIMARY

-Agnes! -Where were you?

-The chick... -Don't give me your life story!

-She couldn't find the bulb... -Shh!

So...

Citizens of Saint-Francois-du-Gard, dear friends,

thank you all

for coming to the inaugural meeting of this campaign,

a campaign that is all about youth.

Our thanks

to the mayor of Saint-Francois-du-Gard,

who has supported us from the start

and who graciously welcomed us to his city.

I am here with you

because I wanted to have a frank dialogue with you

on the eve

of this presidential campaign.

In opposition to the spirit of the times

or in an effort to keep a critical distance

from political trends,

I want to demonstrate my loyalty to my values.

-Are you OK? -Yeah.

-Having fun? -Yeah. Do you want some wine?

-What were you doing? -Listening to Catherine's speech.

And you didn't see me getting ambushed?

I've been signaling to you for two hours.

Oh, no... I didn't understand.

It's your job.

If you see someone bending my ear for longer than three minutes,

you tell me I have an urgent call.

I'll say: "I'll call them back."

If the leech hangs on,

you insist, I yell at you a bit, and we're off. Is that clear?

-OK. -OK?

I didn't understand. I'm sorry.

Mrs. Beressi, any comments?

-Mrs. Beressi! -Can we take a photo with...

Yes, of course.

Hello. Excuse me for interrupting.

Agnes, there's a call for you.

I'll call them back.

Excuse me, but it's HQ. Apparently, it's urgent.

Arnaud, I'll call them back. I'm talking to Henri.

I'm sorry for insisting,

but it's very important. You have to call them.

-Go ahead, Agnes, if it's so urgent. -Oh, they're going to hear from me.

-Are you the new intern? -No, I'm her new assistant.

Great.

Excuse me. I have to take this call.

-Yes, hello? -Are you an idiot or what?

Excuse me?

He's the president of the federation. He's the reason we came here.

Oh, of course. She's calling you back as we speak.

You said it was to place the wreath.

Screw the wreath, you moron.

He represents 3,000 votes. Do you know what that means

in a primary like this? And there he goes.

I can't believe how stupid you are.

Henri! Henri.

It's true that time wasn't on our side,

but it was important to me to be by the mayor's side

for the commemoration.

The polls aren't that favorable.

Does that worry you?

No, actually. We know what the polls are worth.

I stay the course. I don't listen to...

It's done.

What's that?

I changed the tickets. We leave in an hour.

It's a shame. The first class tickets were the same price...

Catherine is running to represent

everyone, not the first class.

I need to find a quiet place to get some work done.

Catherine, we talked about taking a walk around town

to meet the people.

-The people? -The electors.

Yeah, right. No, I need to write my speech

for the mayors' conference.

-Wandering around town can wait... -Of course.

Agnes? Agnes, I wanted to say

that I'm sorry for what happened earlier with the...

the president of the federation. I didn't know.

Well, you need to know, Arnaud. That's part of politics.

-And thanks for the weather. -But that's not my fault.

No, it's not your fault. I don't care about you. Stop sulking.

You're the one who...

I wanted to tell you that I don't like when you call me dummy.

Oh, I said it one time. And anyway, I mean it affectionately.

How was your first day? Not too hard?

Fine. It was a little...

it was fast-paced. I just need to get used to it.

-Yes, I'd like to talk about that. -Yeah?

-I don't think this is working. -Oh...

Politics is serious. You can't get bogged down with...

We need quick people.

Since you don't know how to do anything...

I'm sorry, I have to take this. Hello?

Yes. Sorry, I couldn't call you back.

Yes, of course. No, but...

Yes, sorry, I really couldn't today,

but can I come on Friday instead?

Yeah? I'm really, really sorry.

I'm sorry. I couldn't get out of it.

Yes, I know. I know.

No, I'm not mad. I'm not mad. It's just that...

Yes. Tom is making great strides,

but his score on the baccalaureate won't help him learn Spanish.

OK. Well...

OK, thank you.

Thank you very much. Have a good night. Thanks.

...far from what the French are expecting.

But Catherine Beressi was clear

this afternoon during a trip to the Gard

on the question of the RDSA. We'll have the images soon.

She said, and I quote: "The question of implementing

"the RDSA deserves to be revisited.

-"There's no reason not to." -Yes.

That says a lot. But I would like

to come back to the document we saw earlier. What does that say?

That no one in this house can get along.

No one in this primary shares the same vision of society

or the same recommendations for economic policy

It creates a feeling of confusion

that makes it difficult to engage

with one or the other candidate.

YOU WERE GREAT ARNAUD!

MEETING AT 8 A.M.

...than a primary.

Hi, honey. Hello? Can you see me?

Hi, my love. How are you?

Yeah, good. You?

Yeah. I'm sorry, I couldn't respond earlier.

I really couldn't.

-Did you get your tickets yet? -Yeah, not yet.

It's been three days.

Not yet, but I'll get them next week.

OK.

You don't care.

-Of course I do. -You don't care about me, the Inuits,

-or the project. Just yourself. -Of course I care about the Inuits.

I just don't understand! We had a plan...

-Honey, don't be mad. -I'm trying, OK?

-I've had enough. I'm hanging up... -Hello? Leslie...

Hi, Arnaud.

-Arnaud. -What's up?

Nothing. You?

Do you think Beressi would give us an interview?

If this one is like the last one,

then I doubt it.

No, this is different.

This is her job.

Yeah...

Maybe this week?

-OK, I'll see. -Thanks, Arnaud.

What were you doing? Catherine's waiting.

-I got it. -Come on. It doesn't matter.

-Labussiere dropped out. -Huh?

Catherine's in second now.

Wait, what? Is it because of the kickbacks to the Qataris?

No, he decided to focus on his painting.

-Very funny. -No, it's not. We're in trouble.

Laurent Labussiere dropped out... That's his choice.

-It won't detract from the issues. -Wait one second.

Catherine, Marc says that Labussiere leaving will give

Prenois a boost. He's the one to go after.

But I have nothing on Prenois!

I have nothing to say about him! Not right now.

...you will support her.

Prenois is...

...candidates...

He's safe. He's a safe choice.

Risk free.

What am I saying?

Choosing Prenois is like not choosing.

-Prenois is an Irish pub. -Huh?

Oh, I was just saying that Prenois

is like an Irish pub.

It's neither good nor bad. We pretty much know what we'll get.

You're not going to have the best night of your life.

-Lower. Lower. -OK, Catherine.

Not too many numbers. Short sentences.

Everyone already knows you're brilliant.

Time to go.

And try to be a little more...

-more pushy. -Pushy?

Pushy. Show your teeth.

-OK. -Make them remember you.

And this jacket is all wrong. Let's take it off.

-There. Is that good? -Perfect.

OK... Let's go.

-So, what's next? -Nothing much.

It's important to keep in mind that today in France,

as a result of Martineau's policies,

unemployment...

unemployment has gone up by 1.5 points

And... if we look at deflation...

She's terrible. How can she be so terrible?

...consumption has gone down in four countries in the Eurozone.

Negative 0.2%

in France and Germany.

We were at negative...

-Hello. -Eleonore. I'm writing an article...

Sorry, we're working...

No, come in.

-How are you? -Good. And you?

-Thanks for coming. -No,

-thanks for inviting me. Hi. -Hello.

Given all that, people are wondering

what you've been doing for two and a half years.

You worked in the private sector,

taught economics classes in Switzerland.

-I was also a member of Parliament! -True.

Yes, it's true, but you didn't mention it.

-She's so much more confident. -She's doing great.

-...if you get to the second round? -Well, first off,

we're not there yet. Secondly, Pascal Prenois' platform...

It's like an Irish pub. You know? Irish pubs are

-neither good nor bad... -Hey, that's my line.

-Really? -Yeah. We talked

about what to say about Prenois.

Wow, look how happy he is.

-...overhaul of the school system? -Yes.

Listen, sweetie, when the show ends,

take Catherine out the back.

-No need to pass any journalists. -OK.

The ratings aren't bad.

Hello.

Prenois and the living dead.

-They depress me. -The guy from Figaro keeps calling.

-Text him to say you'll call back. -OK, what do I say?

-That you'll call him back. -Yeah, but to say what?

You're not going to call him.

You didn't know that one, did you?

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY INTEND TO VOTE FOR

CATHERINE BERESSI OCTOBER - NOVEMBER

You're the one who wanted to put the RDSA front and center...

LESLIE

I have to read over my speech.

There. So...

Yeah, Leslie. Listen, I'm on a train. I can't talk.

Can I call you back later?

-Yeah... -You'll call me, huh?

I will. I'll call you when I arrive.

OK.

Yeah, I'll let you know.

Bye, honey. Bye-bye.

Bye, honey.

Honey?

Honey!

We saw Pascal Prenois arriving earlier.

He seemed quite calm.

He must be waiting impatiently

for the results and the verdict of the voters.

Catherine Beressi, meanwhile, appeared...

Good. They've confirmed we're at 8%.

It might be higher with the overseas departments.

8%?

Is 8% good or bad?

-It's good, isn't it? -Oh yeah!

-Yes. Yeah, no, 8% is good! -Yeah?

Yeah, it's good. Great even!

They have to deal with me now. They have no other choice.

On the RDSA, on savings rates. They'll have to follow my lead.

-Right. -Where's Agnes?

-Have you seen Agnes? -No, I haven't seen her.

-Arnaud, look at you! -Oh, hello. How are you?

-I've been wanting to see you. -Sorry, I'm in a rush right now.

Things with Beressi are going great.

-It's great. -You've done well for yourself.

Yeah, well, it's still early.

-You haven't seen Agnes, have you? -Looking to celebrate?

-Yeah. -You're sleeping with her?

-No. -You're not?

No, not at all.

Excuse me... can I come see you in your office one of these days?

What office?

Your office, where I met you the first time.

Oh, no.

No, that's not my office. A friend lent it to me.

-Speaking of... -I have to take this.

-Yeah? -We'll catch up later.

-OK. Bye, Arnaud. -Hello?

What's with the stink eye?

I thought that

Prenois and the living dead depressed you.

Get used to it. I'm his communications director.

And the presidential election is no primary.

-Is that a joke? -No, we're working at the Irish pub.

What do you mean "we?" I'm leaving for Canada in a week.

Yeah, yeah... don't throw a fit.

I'm not,

but I have plans, and I can't just cancel them.

That's politics. You have to know how to adapt.

I can see that.

Pascal Prenois surprised everyone...

-Bravo. 8%! -Yeah. That's good, huh?

-Yeah, it's good! -OK, good.

-Well, let's toast! -Let's.

Thanks.

-Good job. -Thank you.

Thank you. Thanks to the whole team.

OK, let's go. I have my speech...

-Are you coming? -We're coming. Go ahead.

Where are we going?

To the Elysée!

Honey!

Yeah?

-Want a ride? -Yeah.

So what are you going to do?

Are you leaving me?

-Well... -You don't like it anymore?

No, I do. It's just that...

You'd rather be with your little honey and the Eskimos?

That was the plan...

Right. It's comforting.

While we fight for France, you run off to Canada.

You don't want to give back to your country?

We still have a job to do, don't we?

Well, yeah, but...

at least I know what's waiting for me in Canada.

Leslie, the NGO, and...

And Prenois will never make it through the first round.

You know?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

-OK. How much do I owe you? -Twelve dollars.

Wait. I'll pay.

I know I'm right.

Even if we win, what am I going to do?

Make photocopies at the Ministry of Youth?

It's OK. Leave it alone, Arnaud.

Good luck with everything.

Hello? No, you have to start positioning yourself.

Agnes, Agnes, wait... I don't have any cash.

No, at 36%, people are going to start talking about an accident.

No, we must show that we're ready to fight.

Boarding for Air France flight 27

to Montreal has now ended.

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Escoffier is finished.

-What? -The mayor of Saint-Francois-du-Gard.

He had a stroke.

Damn! He was really nice.

There'll be municipal elections.

The journalists say it's a test before the first round.

-What were you doing? -So...

I was working on Prenois' speech on social security.

Take a quick look.

-It's good, but emotion counts. -But it has emotion.

-I want emotion. -I promise you there's emotion.

Look at Bertrand.

I bet he's writing an article on his stupid agrarian reform.

-No, they're talking about you. -What?

-I can read lips. -No way.

No, really. My mother is hard of hearing, so...

-Are you serious? -Yeah.

Go on, what's he saying?

-Oh, no, I'm not going to do that. -Why not?

-No, I'm not going to... -Come on. What are they saying?

-Are you sure? -Yes, go on. What are they saying?

Right now they're saying:

"I love when she wears her emerald green bra."

"I like that one. It goes really well with her thong."

Now what?

"And her shirt is always unbuttoned. You can see everything."

"Yeah, the little there is to see." Jerk. Now he's talking about Nicki...

He said: "That's true. She's no Nicki Minaj,

"no Kim Kardashian, but for her age, she's pretty well preserved."

They're real bastards, aren't they?

I don't have time for this bullshit. I have to work.

And so, he officially became

the presidential candidate.

So, all eyes have turned

to Evelyne Martineau.

What will the current French president do?

She's been in a bad position lately.

Is she in good enough shape to run for a second term?

Total silence from the Elysée.

In any case, if she were to give up,

Pascal Prenois really would have

every opportunity to become

the surprise winner of this election.

PRENOIS FOR PRESIDENT

The Bercy speech is a chance to make a change. We need a new look.

So, I...

-Excuse me. -Stand over there.

-We're listening -Excuse me.

Was this planned?

-Please continue. -Thanks, Agnes.

So, as I was saying, we need a new look.

I was thinking of new glasses

or no glasses at all.

Seriously? My glasses...

Yeah. Your glasses are like your view of France.

It's a real change. It's less conspicuous

than a haircut, less risqué than changing your clothes.

It's imperceptible and yet pervasive.

But don't you think it would

make me look less friendly...

No, no. It's nice.

Less friendly? No, I don't think so.

They've done studies. Not at all.

What do you think, Arnaud?

I think it's good.

Thanks, Arnaud.

So, Pascal, we need to talk about your campaign ad.

I have a list of important people who are ready to support you.

Oh, speaking of, I'd like to get Jil Caplan.

-Great idea. I'll contact him. -Contact her. "Her." She's a singer.

You don't know her? Jil Caplan?

Every night,

You say: "Not tonight."

Its somewhere between blues and classic...

Oh, yeah, I know that one.

-I used to dance to that song... -I love it.

-Agnes? -What's with you?

What's he doing here?

Salim? He's on the team. No one introduced you?

-No. -Oh, well he's great.

Quick, efficient, consistent. Everything we look for.

Oh, and I wanted to introduce you to Jacqueline.

Jacqueline is Pascal's mother.

She had a great idea,

and I immediately thought of you to execute it.

-Execute it? -Yeah.

-I'll leave you to it? -Yes.

-Hello. -You're Arnaud?

-Hello. -Hello.

Sit down.

A book

with photos from every stage

-of my son's life. Do you understand? -Yeah. A picture book.

A book. A picture book is for children.

I already have a layout in mind.

The problem is that I don't know anything

about computers. I'm hopeless with them.

It seems that you're good with them.

-Oh yeah? -That's what Agnes said.

I guess so. Let's see.

-Be careful. They're originals. -Sorry.

Is that Pascal with a duck?

We're far from the ocean and...

All communities have participated in a...

-And we see... -Oh, so that's your plan?

That's right.

It will be ready by next spring.

There are individual dwellings,

-communal meeting spaces... -Mr. Prenois!

-There are vegetable gardens too. -How many places are there?

About 450.

-Ten times as many? -Oh yeah. It's enormous.

Shall we keep going?

Agnes, Salim, Dominique.

-Hello. -Salam alaikum.

Hello. Agnes Karadzic.

You need to know how important it is for us...

-Can you stop taking photos, please? -Sorry.

We wanted to tell you that we're doing a lot of work,

as you know, and there will be

450 beds instead of 50 soon.

Where are you from, sir?

Senegal.

Ah, you're Wolof. I traveled to Senegal a few years ago,

and I learned about all the tribes: the Wolofs,

the Touscouleurs, the Sarakoles. Is that right?

The Fulanis. I forgot. I think there are even more...

-Yeah, there are others. -Yeah, right.

The school photo further to the left.

-Like this? -Further.

Like this?

What should we put for the caption?

I don't know. We can just write...

"Pascal and his school friends?"

A fine observation.

We can see that it's Pascal and his school friends.

That's too literal.

What about: "Hoorah, school is over."

That's kind of silly, isn't it?

"The ENA, the school for elites."

That's a bit...

-No. -No, it's good.

The school

for elites. Like that?

-Very good. -OK. Was that the last one?

No, I have a lot more, but this is just the first pass.

I was thinking,

I'm a bit tired.

That's fine. OK.

Take off your shoes.

Pascal needs me all the time.

He doesn't know how to do anything.

He's a real klutz.

Yeah, well, campaigning is exhausting.

You have to understand.

I'm wondering, Jacqueline, whether you might want

to take a little break to catch your breath?

No, I'm fine. I stopped smoking.

It's just one flight of stairs.

Imagine poor Pascal

if something were to happen to you.

What's my stance on climate change?

-You're against it. -Be serious. We're working.

So, did you call Cotin?

-Good evening. -Mom.

-Good evening. -Excuse me.

Pascal, I wanted to show you the first draft of the photo book.

Oh... My mom's photo book.

This is the turning point of the campaign. Let's see.

-Here, you use the trackpad. -OK.

-Come here, Bertrand. -Yeah.

-If you want to work. -Yeah.

Oh, wow. This one, in the shorts

-and sandals... Is it essential? -Yes, of course.

-Arnaud likes it too. -Are you Arnaud?

-Yes. -Yes, that's him.

He worked with Agnes on the primary.

Well, don't just stand there. Take a seat.

Do you remember this one with the jacket?

I bought it at a flea market.

I've worked with three PR agencies,

and no one had the idea to use

my Bermuda shorts to get people's sympathy.

Pascal, do you want to finish the budget reforms?

OK. Can't I take a break?

I have to call Cotin. What do I say?

What's the line?

Talking about the consumer price index

and the Treasury deficit is too complicated, is that it?

Pascal's right. You have to sell it,

to seem like a normal guy.

So, the idea is to have a tool

to keep us on track, like a compass.

So, "With Prenois, we always know which way is north."

Yeah, that's good. It's good. But what's the brand?

-The budgetary horizon? -Too boy scout.

-Fiscal compass? -No, that sounds like tax shield.

Wow, you're all so inspired today. This is great.

-We'll find it. -The three musketeers.

So?

We have to sell this reform, guys.

It's important.

-Budgetary GPS? -What?

Oh, I just said:

"Budgetary GPS," but it's kind of shitty.

Budgetary GPS...

-No, I like that. -Yeah, it's good.

Yeah, I like it.

-Budgetary GPS... -That's good.

-Yeah, it's really good. -It's modern.

You know where you're going, and you go straight there.

Exactly. Arnaud learned a lot during the primary.

-Are we set? Should I call Cotin? -Yes.

Call Cotin.

Oh no, I'm watching my weight. Just a taste.

It's delicious.

HOW'S IT GOING?

-Serve yourselves and pass it around. -Have some, Philippe.

It's delicious, you'll see. Even with tea.

I'LL CALL YOU BACK.

Where's the coffee?

The control room, but you need a badge.

-I don't have one yet. -Damn.

It's incomprehensible.

How are you, Arnaud?

I was a bit tired, but I'm OK now.

OK, before we start,

I wanted to thank Catherine. Thank you

for integrating into our team.

You have a lot to bring to the table.

-You're welcome, Pascal. Thank you. -Really. We're happy to have you.

-Welcome, Catherine. -Thank you.

So, we're going to talk about the economy.

Is that right?

The budgetary GPS. Such bullshit.

Public relations for idiots.

It's absurd.

Agnes? Did you have something to say?

Yes. Can we all agree that

for those who don't have a master's in economics,

this text is incomprehensible?

-Once we have a simple formula... -Simple or simplistic?

-Simple. -Like the budgetary GPS?

Yes, like Arnaud's budgetary GPS, for example.

And you really think the voters

-will go for this? -Excuse me.

but when I go to the doctor, and he explains

complicated things using words I don't understand,

I feel reassured.

Don't you?

OK, let's talk about the VAT, Brussels, etc.

Did you get the note cards I prepared?

I didn't get them.

France is at 20. They want 22.

You could propose 21.

What are the others saying? That's the question.

Some want to go to 17.5%.

The problem is that you were talking about 16.5%.

-No, that's completely... -We'll lose everyone.

How many people work in this laboratory?

It's a laboratory, right?

Laboratory, research center. The simulation team has 12 people.

-Engineers, technicians. -You're an engineer?

-I'm a researcher. -OK.

-You're an engineer? -No.

-My guessing is off... -Shall we do the demonstration?

Yes. They hadn't warned me.

Let's do a tour.

OK. I did eat a big breakfast today.

We were in Rungis,

so I had some sausage, etc.

But let's do it.

I'm going to put you in Djamila's hands.

-She will be your pilot. -Nice to meet you, Djamila.

-It's... -So, we go that way.

-Djamila will take care of you... -OK.

-OK. So, I sit here. -Go ahead.

-Like this? -Exactly.

-Do I close it? -It closes by itself. Don't worry.

-OK. -See you soon.

-It's not closing. -Don't worry. It closes by itself.

OK.

Hello? Calm down, Bertrand.

It's just a little dip

because Martineau's campaign just started.

It's more of an erosion than a fall.

-Are you with Catherine? -No, Arnaud.

I won't bother Pascal with that.

-He has other problems right now. -What? What's happening?

Stop, Bertrand. We have a strategy which will be applied.

SENDING YOU BORDEAUX SPEECH

He'll command attention in Bordeaux.

INTENTION TO VOTE FOR PASCAL PRENOIS DECEMBER - JANUARY - FEBRUARY

MARTINEAU ENTERS RACE

Please step back.

There will be a press conference, so please.

-How are you? -Good. You?

-I'll be with you in one second. -Of course.

Did you want to ask me something?

How's Karadzic doing?

Karadzic... Why?

Has she managed to push her idea for a unified Europe?

You know, we all designed the platform together.

It seems like there's some friction with Bertrand.

Friction?

-Is that true? -No idea what you're talking about.

I don't think intra-party gossip

is what French people are concerned with, Geraldine.

You're clever, but you have to show some teeth

if you don't want to say at the bottom.

The bottom?

Worst case scenario, I could be a journalist.

Worst case, yeah.

We're coming to the...

-The bars are laid down. -Here?

No. Here, it starts here.

P. PRENOIS VISITS AN ALUMINUM FACTORY

E. MARTINEAU MEETING PRESIDENT OF GHANA TUESDAY

-How many people are working here? -Two.

-How hot is the metal? -The bars are cold now.

We supply

the people who make barriers, gates,

balconies.

We don't make them. We supply the materials.

How are you?

How are things with your girlfriend?

Good.

-Do you miss her? -No.

It's fine. I'm used to it,

and I'm busy with the campaign, so...

I wanted to ask

if you wanted to work with me on the 50 measures for the first 100 days?

You know, Catherine just asked me to work on her 47 measures

for social democracy. So, I can't. Too bad.

I do have three more.

-That's better. -Oh yeah? I gotta go.

Agnes, I was thinking. Why not ask Salim to help you?

I hear he's great.

You don't want to stop licking Beressi's pussy?

I hear it smells like old fish down there.

If I were you, I'd cool it,

given what's coming for her.

Even if she wasn't involved

in Labussiere's kickbacks, she saw the accounts.

She's finished. That's why she's so agitated.

But do what you want.

And the "I'll call you back,"

but you don't. Not with me.

QATARI KICKBACKS DID CATHERINE BERESSI KNOW?

BERESSI, YOU SHOULD BE ON TRIAL

DID CATHERINE BERESSI LIE?

Some details were buried,

but when it comes out, it's going to hurt.

And when you think that these are the people you're voting for...

I had no idea.

No one said anything, but apparently,

she had these accounts

with thousands of dollars in them.

-Are you OK? -No. Yeah, I'm fine.

-Are you? -Yeah.

-So, did Salim steal your spot? -What? Salim?

He works on the candidate's image.

I do communications. Completely different.

I meant your spot in the car.

Oh, that. No, I like the bus.

Really. You get to see the countryside.

-It's cool. -She's not bad, huh?

-Daniel, what're you doing here? -Want some arnica?

No, thanks. You're going to Villefranche?

Are you from here?

No, I'm from... from Dijon.

But hey, we all have to follow the candidate into battle.

Tell me, Arnaud, I might have missed

Pascal in the crowd.

Would you pass him a copy of my book

on France at work? I want him to write the preface.

I won't have time.

No, take it. This is the intro.

You can tell me what you think.

-So, Agnes... -Yeah, yeah.

They were out of pink paper.

Thanks, though.

I wanted to talk to you about something.

If you're interested,

I can get you in.

What're you talking about?

The Grand Lodge.

It might seem silly,

but being a mason can be helpful.

If you want to get into the Senate...

Let's go, children of the fatherland

Our day of glory has arrived

Against us

The bloody flag of tyranny is raised

The bloody flag is raised

They're coming right into your arms To slit the throats

He has no reason to go on the offensive

and snipe at his opponents. On the other hand,

he will become a target of attacks if he becomes a favorite.

I'm reminded of what he said

just last Sunday, Geraldine,

and I'm quoting: "It's the men and women of France

"who will restore this nation,

"not their leaders..."

-What're you doing? -Huh?

Watching or reading?

No, I'm reading. I was thinking.

I was wondering how...

how we can present your vision for a united Europe.

CATHERINE BERESSI

You're not answering?

If I answer, I'll be on for three hours.

Oh, you have lots of secrets to tell me.

Do you talk about me?

"She's mean. You won't believe what she did to me today..."

-That's crazy. -I know Beressi.

She's a real bitch.

You have to choose a side. That's politics.

I'LL CALL YOU BACK. IN A MEETING WITH THE ICE BOX.

Agnes, I...

Go ahead.

I'm sorry. It's just a bad joke. It's not...

When I say "ice box," I don't mean "frigid."

I mean "cold," like a block of ice.

-You see? -Yeah, I understand.

I feel like an idiot.

They're always making jokes,

and I got carried away like an idiot.

They?

Catherine, Bertrand, the guy from the Montesquieu Foundation.

They call themselves the Three Musketeers.

They think they're closer to Prenois.

-It's ridiculous. -Like the candy bar?

-Exactly. -And fat-assed Catherine is Milady?

Exactly.

You see? They act as if they're this VIP clique,

but all they do is drink Evian,

eat fatty foods with Prenois' mother,

and watch the news. You're not missing anything.

But...

-I shouldn't have said all that. -Of course you should. It's me.

Well, I'm sorry. Really.

Yes, Catherine? It's the ice box.

-You wanted to talk to D'artagnan? -Agnes...

He's busy working on my plan for a unified Europe.

He can't come to your Three Musketeers meeting,

if you know what I mean.

-That's right. -Agnes...

Put him on.

There's no use.

I think the same about you, Catherine.

Agnes... Agnes!

What're you doing?

Making sure you're not sleeping with anyone else?

-Give me my phone. -It's not yours. It's the party's.

-OK, give me my phone. -No.

Agnes, give me my phone. There's private stuff...

photos of me and Leslie.

-No. -Come on.

-Get off me! What do you take me for? -Give it to me!

Here.

Oh, Agnes, I was looking all over for you. I have the brochure.

Oh, yeah. What is this?

The brochure, for your 50 measures.

But what's this paper?

We said eco-friendly paper.

Yes. It's biodegradable.

But it's all white and shiny.

That's right. It's not

that typical biodegradable paper that's that disgusting grey color.

-Pretty good, huh? -No, it's not good.

People expect it to be that color.

This won't have that effect.

I don't know. I can't just dye it grey, though.

Why not? I don't know, Salim.

What? More complaining?

-Yes? -I can't believe it. What's with her?

-What's going on with her? -What're you talking about?

You should be careful.

You know what she did to me at the press conference?

-Wait, shut up. -What?

In case you missed it, five people planning two attacks

-were arrested. -I'll call back.

Geraldine, this story is interrupting

the course of these presidential campaigns,

but some candidates, no doubt, have planned

or had planned to go to Strasbourg...

This is perfect! This is what we needed.

Pascal's going to Strasbourg tomorrow.

I want a reaction statement, one with emotion.

Or you're going in the ice box.

"The fight against terrorism is a priority of my agenda.

"I've said it before,

"and I'll say it again now, calmly, yet firmly:

"I will never back down when it comes to preserving our freedom,

"while ensuring the safety

"of every one of our citizens.

"Without Europe, France is an isolated, weak country,

"incapable of action.

"We can't design the world of tomorrow

"without European power.

"There's still territory to conquer. We can work on inequality

"and international relations when we shake off our outdated thinking.

"The France of tomorrow will be a hopeful and inspiring one.

"We're offering you this hope and inspiration.

"We'll build this France together."

No?

-Did you shower? -What?

Did you take a shower today?

No, I didn't have time. Why?

It's important to bathe. We represent France, remember.

I'm going to run you a bath. I'll take care of you.

Salim had an idea for tomorrow's speech.

I forgot to return his messages.

He really is a hard worker.

It's OK. I'll figure it out.

Scrub well!

Do you wear the same suit

to make you seem approachable?

They're all the same.

Yeah, but combined with your hygiene problems...

-Did you write this? -I closed the door.

It's OK. I've seen other willies. I have two kids, you know.

What is this?

It's... it's nothing. It's for a friend.

-What friend? Catherine? -No, no.

No, wait. I love it. The tirade on perseverance.

It's lyrical. It's really very good.

This is what we need for tomorrow. It has emotion.

-Is it yours? -Yeah.

You deserve a bonus. That's how I am.

I give credit where credit is due.

Wait for me in the room. I'll be back, OK?

What're you doing?

I wanted to introduce you to Marcus.

Ah, I have a cramp!

-I have a cramp. I need to lie down. -Oh, no.

I hope it gets better.

Marcus is one of my husband's old colleagues.

-He came by to surprise me. -Hello.

-Nice to meet you. -Yeah. You too.

Here. This is for you. It will comfort you.

-I'm gonna get a bite with Marcus. -OK.

-Thanks. -See you tomorrow.

-Sorry. -Yeah.

Bye, Marcus!

Perseverance!

That's the answer!

There's nothing in the world that can replace persistence.

Not talent. Nothing's more common than talented people who fail.

Not genius. The unfulfilled genius

is practically proverbial.

Education isn't enough.

The world is full of basket cases with degrees.

Only perseverance

and determination are unbeatable.

Please join me in welcoming

our candidate,

Pascal Prenois!

INCOMING CALL DANIEL

France. Our France. Our France is a great place.

-That was crazy. -Come.

...made up of men and women born on this soil and elsewhere

-who have always had the feeling... -We're not going to listen?

...the fruits of our labor!

-No, not here. -Shut up.

I'm counting on you!

You deserve it!

We deserve it!

France deserves it!

-You were great. -Thanks, Agnes. I loved it.

The crowd carried me.

I loved it. It was thrilling.

That was a milestone.

I don't know what happened, but I was really good.

Marvelous.

The speech about perseverance was wild!

-Like Johnny Hallyday. -Yeah, well...

I don't know. It just came to me.

It's them. They gave us this momentum.

-Pascal inspires such excitement. -Of course.

-Hello, Claude. How are you? -So pleased.

It was nice of you to come. This is my mom.

It's important to have support in the region like this.

Hello, miss. How are you? What's your name?

-Clara. -Clara.

You know how to say "my love" in Alsatian?

"Mikele."

-Oh yeah? -Pretty, huh?

Let's take a photo.

-Come on. -Come on.

She's cute. Let's take a group photo.

Agnes, come.

This won't hurt my ratings.

Thanks. Thanks a lot.

I have such a sugar craving.

I'll have a pretzel.

Have you had them?

-You want to do so much... -Of course.

Of course, Daniel. Of course they know

-it's yours. -Really?

Of course, Daniel. Prenois too. It's all they're talking about.

Can you give me Prenois' number?

No, I can't give you his number.

I don't have it, and he changes it constantly

for obvious security reasons.

-Listen, Daniel. -Yeah?

This stays between us. I shouldn't say this, but...

-they're thinking of bringing you on. -Really?

-Yeah. Or in the government. -Why not?

Yeah, the secretary of state, or in the overseas departments,

-something like that. -Oh, yeah. Cool.

We haven't won yet,

-but if we do, it's thanks to you. -OK.

-Tell me... -Thanks. Good job. I gotta go.

-OK, bye. -Wait...

-Good evening. -This is reserved for Prenois' team.

-I'm on his team. -You have to go around.

-No, I'm part of his team. -Go around, sir.

-Agnes! Agnes! -Please, stand aside.

This is ridiculous.

I'm part of the team. What is the problem?

That's no good.

I work with them every day. You'll see. I'm going to call them.

I'LL CALL YOU BACK

-Where's the exit? -That way.

Thanks.

All the way?

I MISS YOU, HONEY. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU. CALL ME TONIGHT?

Arnaud? Can you help me for a second, or are you too busy?

Are you OK, honey? What's wrong?

Still sulking?

No, it's nothing. It's just that...

the polls are getting me down.

Oh, OK. I need your help. I don't want any pools or palm trees

in Pascal's photos.

-So, what? You want to cut them? -More like lower the blinds.

When people see this, they think Club Med,

not the economic development

of the Mediterranean Coast.

-So you don't even care? -About what?

-Fascists coming to power. -They're not coming to power,

just the second round. You're always getting carried away.

-So, it changes nothing? -It does.

It means we're going to rally around Martineau.

What do you mean?

We've spent the campaign attacking her.

Wake up. This chapter is over.

Work hard,

and we might get a few cabinet members.

Then, there's just the campaign costs,

but that's another problem.

So people are just interchangeable to you?

Catherine, Pascal, Martineau, Salim...

Hold on a minute.

Can you really imagine Pascal Prenois being president?

So we've been fighting for something we never believed in?

No, we believed in it, but we know how to adapt

our ambitions to our means. We just need to go a little further.

A few weeks before the first round, we rally.

We push the party a little further,

unless you have a better idea.

Have you thought about it?

And Pascal's on board with adapting his ambitions to his means?

Pascal doesn't know. He just needs to not get

too far ahead of those other cocksuckers.

If he thinks he's ahead, he'll do something stupid.

Don't talk about it.

We're in Corsica, but I don't talk about it?

And Arnaud? We fucked once. It's not a state affair, OK?

-So, how did it go with the prefect? -Great.

Great. You know Jean-Jacques.

Yeah, I can hear you. OK.

What enthusiasm! Where is Pascal Prenois headed?

Arriving this morning on the beautiful island,

the candidate was met by a great crowd at Ajaccio Port.

After a short walk,

he visited a pig farm

and a recycling plant.

He talked with local business leaders

in a hotel and a hotel spa here in Porto-Vecchio.

The people's party seems assured

of a comfortable ride to first place in the first round.

Evelyne Martineau's position is under threat

from the breakout performance of Pascal Prenois.

After a rather difficult start,

it's hard to imagine what could compromise

such a meteoric rise.

RALLYING

What's up?

Sit down.

You know, it's hard for me to stay the course too.

It seems like you always know exactly where you're going.

It's my job to make people think that.

If Prenois gets to Matignon, it'll be a mad rush.

Edwin will want education... Catherine, the economy.

-You'll get Minister of the Interior. -If they haven't stoned me by then.

And if I haven't filed a sexual harassment claim.

That would be a mistake. I'd send you to negotiate

layoffs with the police.

-We'd have a good time. -Oh yeah? You'd do that?

Anyway, I'd be in Canada. So...

Yeah, that's right. Canada.

-To be with the missus. -Stop calling her that.

It wouldn't change anything, would it?

If I weren't here. It's not a state affair.

For me to consider someone,

I need to feel like he's really into it.

And I'm not?

No. You have all these backups.

Catherine, Leslie... You've bet on a couple horses,

and you're waiting to see who crosses the line first.

-Hello? Leslie? -Honey?

Yeah, it's me.

Yeah, no. I don't know. Not really.

I've thought about it, and I'm not coming to Canada.

No, I'm not joking.

No, I'm telling the truth. I don't care, I'm not coming.

Because I want to continue following the campaign.

Because I'm invested, in France and everything.

Yeah?

No, I swear. It's not a joke.

Hey... Don't be like that.

Les... Leslie, don't cry. Stop crying.

-But... Honey... -You say this after five years.

Yeah, it's been five years. It's...

It was a five-year term. Maybe that's how we should think about it.

Just think about it like that.

Huh? Hello?

You haven't seen anything yet.

Look.

-What're you doing? -Take a guess.

-You're going swimming? -Yeah.

-Are you crazy? It's freezing. -I'm going.

-It's freezing? -Yeah.

I don't care.

You know there are sharks?

I'm getting to know sharks.

Female sharks, too. Come on!

Are you in or not?

-You're crazy! -Come on!

It's nice! Come on!

It's a bit cold, but you get used to it. Come!

What're you doing?

Come on, take it off!

-Agnes! -Yeah?

Agnes!

-You get used to it! -Oh, damn...

Agnes!

Arnaud? Your tirade on perseverance in Strasbourg,

when did you find it?

-What? -Perseverance in Strasbourg.

Perseverance. You little shit.

Agnes! Agnes!

Goddammit, Daniel. How did you manage

to give me a quote from a McDonald's ad?

The thing about perseverance?

No, there must be a mistake.

I was told it was from one of Nixon's speeches.

You did it on purpose, didn't you? Was it Bertrand?

No, not at all, Arnaud.

Besides, I never told you the quote was mine.

I couldn't have known.

-Thierry Bloc gave it to me. -Who's that?

A guy from my lodge.

A dentist. A great dentist, by the way,

if you ever need any fillings. He does mine.

AGNES KARADZIC PLAGIARIZES MCDONALD'D AD

-Have you seen Agnes? -No.

Did you see the tweet?

Yeah, it's not from a McDonald's ad. It's an old quote

from McDonald's founder, OK?

-What? -Look. He wrote:

"It's during the campaign that the candidate separates

"the wheat from the chaff. Hashtag macdogate."

Agnes!

Agnes, we'll fix this. Open up! Agnes!

I want you to tweet that it's your quote.

-What? -It'll blow over.

It's the only solution.

-Are you joking? -No, I'm not. Go on.

-You didn't say that. -What?

When everyone was congratulating you

in front of Pascal. Did you say it was mine?

-You're 23. -25, almost 26.

OK, 25. No one knows your name,

no one knows who you are.

Do you know what that means? If you do this, you go down

for what? Three months? Six?

In a year,

you'll be back in the game. No one will remember this.

You delete your Twitter,

make a new one, and you're reborn from the ashes.

This stuff about the basket cases with degrees

doesn't work coming from me, a graduate of an elite school.

It will follow for my life. It's "fuck off you poor bastard"

This is my "basket of deplorables" moment.

That's a bit extreme.

I won't get past this, Arnaud.

This is 20 years of my life in your hands. Understand?

This is the time to show me I can trust you.

Fine. There.

I'M THE SOLE AUTHOR OF THE SPEECH ON PERSEVERANCE

-What're you doing? -I'm retweeting it.

What's going to happen to me now?

The municipal elections in Saint-Francois-du-Gard

are in three days. You'll be forgotten.

OK.

No, not like that. I won't have forgotten you.

I'll keep working for HQ?

Pass me my shirt, please.

Huh? What will I do?

You should get out of town.

You could go to Canada.

Like Juppe.

Are you kidding me?

We'll stay in touch, I promise.

172 NEW FOLLOWERS IN TWO MINUTES! GOOD JOB! IT'S KIND OF THANKS TO ME.

-Agnes! -Arnaud, can we get your reaction

after your last tweet?

Go fuck yourselves!

The former Prime Minister, who withdrew form public life

by resigning, is living in Canada now.

His possible return is often discussed,

but he says it's out of the question for the time being.

I feel good. I don't feel dissatisfied

I came out from a very, very difficult period.

It was hard for me

in terms of morale.

So, it obviously helped me.

LESLIE

Hi, Leslie. It's me.

You're not calling me back. I understand why.

I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry.

Really. I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you.

I don't know what came over me.

I don't know what happened with the campaign. I freaked out.

I need you. I really miss you.

I want to come to you,

to do what we planned to do with the Inuits.

I applied for my visa. Call me back, please. OK?

I really miss you. I love you, honey.

-Edwin? -Can you talk?

-Yeah. What's up? -Jacqueline is dead.

-What -Jacqueline Prenois, Pascal's mom.

She's dead.

Damn... What happened?

She died last night at the hospital.

Poor woman. That's horrible. We even talked about it,

about her getting a checkup.

-That's what she was doing. -What?

She died during her stress test.

-Oh shit... -Are you OK, Arnaud?

Yeah, yeah. No, I'm fine. I'm just...

I'm really sorry.

-Well, it's not your fault. -Still.

-Pascal wanted to talk to you. -Pascal?

-To me? -Yeah, to you.

-When? -Right away.

-Thanks for coming. -Of course.

I just wanted to say

how sorry I am.

I didn't know how dangerous a stress test could be.

Listen... We're all very upset.

Pascal came to recharge.

The problem is, he's refusing to leave his room.

He kicked us all out. I thought that he might

be willing to talk to you, since you spent time with her.

Well, I didn't spend that much time with her.

-Hello, Bertrand. -Well...

Everyone's worried. Without his mother, he's lost.

This is it.

We need to rally around Martineau.

The first round is in one week.

-In a week. -He doesn't want to rally anymore?

He doesn't know what he wants. He's talking about going it alone,

about stopping the campaign to protest the right.

-So, we're worried. -You know, Simenon

wrote a novel a week for years.

The day his mother died, he never wrote another line.

Shut up, Philippe! We've had it with your shit!

OK, we'll let you get to it.

He's on the first floor in the room marked "Rabbit."

You'll see. He ordered a lot of food.

It's his way of decompressing. Good luck.

Arnaud...

-I'm sorry. -Why?

-About your mother. -Oh, yeah.

Sorry about that, yeah.

I hear you're thinking a lot about what's next for the campaign.

-I'm quitting politics. -Really?

Yes.

To do what?

I don't know. Enjoy life,

work in the private sector.

35 hour weeks, three day weekends, bonuses.

Why not me?

Didn't you already do that?

I did an internship at L'Oréal in college. I still have contacts.

INTERESTED IN BEING THE CABINET DIRECTOR?

Maybe that's my real calling:

selling shampoo.

YOU'RE THE BEST! TALK ABOUT NANTES IN '97.

France, Pascal.

-France? -France.

Do you know what she told me

-while working on the photo book? -No.

She said: "I really hope Pascal makes it.

"Not for him. But for France, for the French."

-Is that true? -Yes.

-That's weird. -Why?

Because my mom hated the French.

She always used to say it was a shitty country,

and that if I wasn't in politics,

she would have left for Canada a long time ago.

That's crazy... You think you know someone...

You know, Arnaud,

I don't think France wants me.

It's true. Look.

I don't have what it takes to...

-Shut the hell up. -Excuse me?

What did you just say?

No, I'm sorry. I just can't take it.

-I can't do it. I can't take it. -Me?

-No, us. -Us?

Yeah, us. Guys like us.

Guys who are always hiding.

I'm one of them, but it depresses me.

-Look at her, Pascal. Look. -At whom?

-France! She's waiting! -For what?

For you! Let's go!

For you to take her, firmly,

-like a man! -Oh really?

She's been giving you the eye from the start.

She's cute, but...

There has to come a time when you go for it!

To take her and give her what she wants!

Wow, you have a libidinous way of talking about your country.

And the worst part is

she'll never end up with a guy as nice and polite as us.

But maybe that's what she needs?

Huh? A nice guy

who will know how to listen to her.

We're miserable.

It's true, Pascal. We're miserable.

You're hiding behind your mother's death while eating ortolans,

and me, with all this crap with Leslie and Canada.

We're miserable.

Edwin, prepare the car!

Come on, guys! Time to negotiate.

I'm telling you now, it's Matignon or nothing!

They can shove their Minister of the Economy post!

What did you say to him?

-I have no idea. -I'm going to give it to her!

Who invited Karadzic?

So? Did you see him? What'd he say?

Yeah, what is it?

Pascal wants you in the car. We're leaving now.

We haven't heard from Pascal Prenois

in two days, and now there's a rumor that...

You don't find this crazy?

-"...a rallying behind Evelyne..." -Seriously?

I don't care.

You can keep politics. I don't care...

"...a week before the first round, in favor of his adversary."

Hold on tight. It seems that Prenois is headed,

as we speak,

straight to Elysée Palace,

where he intends to negotiate for the post of Prime Minister

with the president

in exchange for his support for her reelection.

What is motivating this insane decision,

which is unheard of in the history of the Fifth Republic?

Well, it's not that insane?

The race is very close.

The top three candidates are within a hair's breadth

of each other, so with this gamble

Pascal Prenois had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

You have to remember that he promised to do

everything he could to stop the populists

from winning the second round.

What do you think?

-What's this? -My government.

Congratulations.

-Where's Catherine? -Not there.

I don't want to have to do a reshuffle

in three months because of those Qatari kickbacks.

-And Karadzic for overseas? -That's all I had.

What about Defense?

-You think she could? -Yeah.

I think she could do it.

I don't know anymore. Whatever you want.

Go on. They're waiting for you.

-Me? -Well, I'd go myself, but...

A presidential candidate

having a drink at the castle before the first round...

OK, well, I'll go.

-Good evening. -Follow me, please.

Wait here, please.

-Mr. Jaures? -Yes?

The president is waiting for you.

On the left.

Good evening, ma'am... Madame President.

-Do you have the... -Yes.

-Are you Arnaud Jaures? -Yes.

-Are you related to... -No, no relation.

Karadzic at Defense? What?

Aside from her, this looks fine.

-OK. -He says OK.

And what can you do other than deliver messages?

Uh... I speak four languages,

I worked in NGOs,

and I've read all of Balzac.

Do you need... something else?

No, that's enough for now.

Thank you.

AGNES KARADZIC

I'LL CALL YOU BACK.