LR makes proposals and discusses with Macronist leaders, the left wants to govern alone… But Emmanuel Macron is firmly attached to his demands on the appointment of the Prime Minister.
The essential
- The new government is not coming right away, but Emmanuel Macron set his conditions on July 23, on France 2, to replace Gabriel Attal.
- The president is determined to maintain two demands: first, he refuses to appoint a prime minister who does not have the support of a majority of elected representatives in the National Assembly, that is, at least 289 deputies forming a coalition based on a government project. Second, he will not appoint anyone to Matignon before the end of the Olympic Games. “That would create disorder,” he justified, while France is hosting a global event. After August 15, Emmanuel Macron will consider appointing a prime minister, but “depending on the progress of discussions” between the parties so that they can reach an agreement. This means that he could wait weeks, the end of the summer, or even longer.
- No party or political bloc intends to form a government coalition at this stage, as Emmanuel Macron requires. And no party intends to change its line. The looming deadlock does not embarrass the president, who has assured that whatever happens, he will not resign before the end of his term.
- The left-wing parties of the NFP have agreed on the name of Lucie Castets for Matignon, but Emmanuel Macron is closing the door to this option.
- For its part, LR proposed a “legislative pact” to Emmanuel Macron: the right will support a government of the center if it commits to texts marked on the right, but without participating in a coalition. The president did not respond to this initiative, simply stating that it was “going in the right direction.”
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13:25 – When will the new Prime Minister be appointed?
In addition to his refusal to appoint to Matignon a personality who does not have the support of a majority of elected representatives in the National Assembly, Emmanuel Macron has set a second red line. No one will be appointed before the end of the Olympic Games, de facto, not “before mid-August”. On the other hand, nothing says that the head of state will not take his time beyond this deadline. A new Prime Minister will be appointed “according to the progress of discussions” between the parties so that they can reach an agreement. The designation of Gabriel Attal’s replacement could therefore be postponed until next September, or even a few weeks later.
12:22 – Huguette Bello considers that the left can have a circumstantial majority
Huguette Bello published on X, this Wednesday, July 24, her reaction to Emmanuel Macron’s rejection of the nomination of Lucie Castets, candidate of the New Popular Front, to Matignon. “It is irresponsible to assume, in advance, that this person would not be competent to form a government and pass reforms within the National Assembly” she wrote, emphasizing the need to implement “general interest measures” such as “the repeal of the pension reform, the increase in the minimum wage, the taxation of super-profits, equal pay for women and men”. “It is entirely possible that a government led by Lucie Castets could obtain majorities”, adds the one who was proposed by France Insoumise for Matignon at the beginning of July.
11:38 – Macron sets a condition for Matignon
On Tuesday evening, during his interview on France 2, Emmanuel Macron hammered home the fact that the NFP had “no majority” in the National Assembly. A way for him to almost automatically reject the proposal of the left-wing alliance for Matignon, namely Lucie Castets. “The question is what majority can emerge in the Assembly so that a government of France can pass reforms,” he conceded. This is how the head of state indicated a very clear message and gave a clue about who he will appoint as Prime Minister: the one whose group will have the majority in the National Assembly. Understand right away, not a personality from the New Popular Front.
09:25 – The legislative pact proposed by the right is “going in the right direction” according to Macron
This is why the Head of State called on the parties to “rise to the moment and to the responsibilities that French women and men have [les] French [leur] have given”. According to him, the legislative pact proposed by the Republican Right is going “in the right direction”. In other words, seeing him govern with the left now seems almost mission impossible.
09:07 – The hypothesis of a resignation officially ruled out
“The French people have given me a mandate. I have asked for it for the second time. They have given it to me for the second time and I will assume it in its entirety.” Clear, clean and precise. Emmanuel Macron dismissed any rumors about a hypothetical resignation in the event of a political deadlock, this Tuesday evening on France 2. My “wish is stability for the country,” he indicated.
08:52 – A new government “would create disorder” according to Emmanuel Macron
The President of the Republic was very clear this Tuesday evening during an interview given to France 2: no government will be appointed before the end of the Paris Olympics, “mid-August”, in the name of the “truce” that he invoked during the event. The constitution of a new team “would create disorder” according to the heads of state. “Obviously, until mid-August, we must be focused on the Games. And then from there, depending on the progress of these discussions, it will be my responsibility to appoint a Prime Minister,” he indicated.
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How soon will the new government be appointed?
The President announced that he wanted to wait for the “structuring” of the Assembly (in particular the constitution of the groups and the election of their presidents) to appoint a new head of government. In a letter to the French people published on July 10, he also considered that it was necessary to “give the political forces a little time to build [des] compromise with serenity and respect for everyone. Until then, the current Government will continue to exercise its responsibilities and will then be in charge of current affairs as is the republican tradition.”
Given the composition of the National Assembly, the President of the Republic has set himself the task of finding a Prime Minister capable of gathering the support of at least 289 deputies, in order to ensure stability. The same applies to the ministers that the latter will then have to propose. Otherwise, the new government as a whole would be exposed to a motion of censure which, if voted for by more than half of the elected representatives, would lead to the overthrow of the ministerial team. It would therefore be necessary to start all over again.
The problem is that Emmanuel Macron will have to accommodate all sensitivities, from the left of course, from the center naturally, but also from the right. If the NFP came out on top, the head of state has already ruled out governing with the LFI deputies. So out goes these sixty elected officials, who could be compensated by the sixty LR who should once again join the Palais Bourbon. Finding personalities who suit the ecologists, socialists, communists, macronists and republicans will not be easy. Not to mention the programmatic points on which everyone will have to agree. The negotiations are still expected to be long and complex. Suffice to say that Gabriel Attal should make extra…
Long and complex negotiations also took place on the left, before the NFP reached an agreement, on Tuesday, July 23, just an hour before Emmanuel Macron’s interview on France 2. After several weeks of procrastination, the left-wing parties of the NFP agreed on the name of the senior civil servant, spokesperson for Our Public Services, Lucie Castets, for Matignon. However, Emmanuel Macron stated that he would not appoint a new Prime Minister before the end of the Olympic Games “in mid-August” and who would not come from a coalition.