In the space of six years in politics Poincaré had gone from local councillor to minister, had carved himself a sturdy reputation for probity and competence and had the grand tenets of his political ideas in place. He was recognised as one of the ‘bright young men’ of French politics, though some saw him as one of the four musketeers along with Barthou, Jonnart and Deschanel – men with knives.

Clean records and moderate politics posed a threat to the old republican guard in the wake of Panama. The August 1893 general elections returned him to a more moderate Chamber of Deputies, cleansed not only of the Boulangist elements but also those associated with Panama. The monarchists had been reduced from 166 to 84, of whom 35 accepted the Republic. The moderates, on the other hand, composed mainly of progressists, Poincaré among them, now formed a centre grouping of 311 deputies. On the left the Radicals had seen their numbers drop from 122 to 100 largely to the benefit of the socialists in the towns whose numbers had increased from 18 to 50 deputies. Even though these political groupings had none of the discipline and organisation of the British party system since the 1867 electoral reform, especially in the centre, it seemed that acceptance of the regime and moderation were spreading. This impression was further helped by the so-called ‘ralliement’ of the Catholic Church to the Republic at the behest of Pope Leo XIII in 1891.