Retting back of a " little boy from Mollégèsat the foot of the Alpilles " now, after more than three years with Vae Solis, the communications advisor to the Minister of Justice.
As soon as we arrived at the Chancellerie on Place Vendôme on a Friday afternoon, the majesty of the place sounded like a call to humility. We await Valentin's arrival under the watchful eye of all the Chancellors and Garde des Sceaux, whose portraits adorn the Salle des Sceaux. On his arrival, we follow Valentin through the magnificent Galerie Peyronnet, where press conferences are held, to the Salon Empire.
"Let's give it an hour, shall we?"
An hour during which we can talk freely, an hour during which Valentin will disconnect - with the exception of regular glances at his phone - from his life as a consultant.
"It starts right away, we're asked to make decisions immediately. You get into the washing machine very quickly." That's how Valentin describes his first few hours in the job. A former representative of the Ile-de-France region to the European Union, he has also worked on election campaigns and in the French Senate, but is used to the hectic pace of working with politicians.
In a matter of hours, in 2022, he left his position at Vae Solis to dive into the deep end of the legal world. "I knew some of the Ministry's issues, having followed them on behalf of various clients active in the legal world when I was at Vae Solis, but only some of them. On his arrival, he will have to juggle subjects as diverse as the conclusion of the Etats généraux de la justice, the entry into force of the name change reform and filmed hearings.
Building a relationship of trust with journalists
When asked about his fondest memories at Vae Solis, he answers without hesitation, with a smile on his face: "It's having been able to accompany FC Nantes [in an international crisis], meeting brilliant and inspiring people, gaining the trust of his contacts in a difficult period and implementing a successful communications strategy. It's a real source of pride. He says he learned how to structure in times of crisis, to focus on the essentials and not be polluted by the superfluous.
Today, what he remembers about Vae Solis is the ability of certain mission managers to trust their young colleagues and help them grow. "It was with Guillaume [Didier] that I learned how to work well with journalists, how to build a working relationship based on trust. I think of him very often (laughs)".
"My compass, is my parents "
Far from the myth of the all-powerful communications consultant, "we're in a business where you have to be humble. What's special about our job is knowing whether what we say is audible and heard; we have the role of translator and educator." But what can you do when everything is moving at 200 miles an hour to prevent the bubble effect?
"My compass is my parents, who live in a village in the South of France. I call them. Have you heard about this? What do you think of it? We can sometimes think, wrongly, that Twitter is reality."
Finally, we look back at his relationship with the Minister of Justice. "The Minister is a leader. You have to give him real advice, contradict him when necessary, and that's not always easy. On the other hand, you have to believe in him, in his projects, in what he stands for, to be able to give his all." Clearly, this is the case.
The mobile rings. Back to reality. The Minister of Justice. He's arriving at the Chancellery in 5 minutes and wants to see Valentin. It's time for us to go...