France: Towards a new left-wing Prime Minister?

 

French political leaders meet Macron for convoluted talks on new government

French President Emmanuel Macron started holding meetings with leading representatives from across the political spectrum on Friday, as parties seek to form a government to overcome weeks of deadlock following parliamentary elections in early July. Further talks are to continue on Monday.

French president Emmanuel Macron promised a swift decision on the name of the next Prime minister.

Macron met on Friday morning with the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) alliance, which has claimed a mandate to govern after topping the second round of voting for France's lower house, the National Assembly, on 7 July.

Lucie Castets, who has been chosen by the coalition as their favourite chose for the role of Prime minister, said Macron acknowledged the need for a "change of political direction".

She spoke of a "very rich" discussion, at the end of which the representatives of the left were nevertheless still unaware of the date of appointment of a new Prime Minister.

Speaking to the press after her meeting with the head of state, she said she was "ready to try to find a way to ensure the stability of the country and finally make it possible to respond to the emergencies expressed by the French people."

Socialist party leader Olivier Faure told the media after the same meeting that the President "acknowledged that the stability he is calling for does not mean the continuation of the policies he has pursued so far. This is an important signal: change is possible and it is necessary."

Further talks

Later, over lunch, Macron met representatives of his own party, before holding talks with the right-wing Republicans and smaller factions in the afternoon.

The president is also scheduled to meet National Rally representatives on Monday including Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella and Eric Ciotti, as well as the leaders of the two parliamentary chambers.

The goal of these talks is to put together a viable ruling coalition after last month's inconclusive election.

A new Prime minister is expected to be appointed following these consultations, but a precise timeline has not been announced yet.

The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP), which emerged as the largest faction post-election, still wants 37-year-old economist Castets to be the new head of government.

Urgency

 

A full six weeks after a snap election which saw Macron lose his parliamentary majority, he has still not named a new prime minister, whose first major task will be to submit next year's budget plan to the National Assembly. 

Appointing a Prime Minister is "an emergency" for the daily lives of the French, according to LFI MP and national coordinator Manuel Bompard.

With "the start of the school year" in a few days, the question of "purchasing power" the question of ecological transition pending, he said: "Enough time wasted, enough time saved for the President of the Republic."

Schools are reopening early September in France, and many observers expect tensions between the teachers' demands and the government, after a couple of difficult years for France's public services.

The national secretary of the Ecologist party, Marine Tondelier, said: "We need a response on Tuesday."