Emmanuel Macron spoke on France 2 this Tuesday, during an interview a few days before the opening of the Olympic Games. He notably responded to the nomination of the future Prime Minister, while the NFP agreed on the name of Lucie Castets.
The essential
- Emmanuel Macron spoke in the Journal de France 2 on Tuesday, July 23, for the first time since the legislative elections and three days before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
- The head of state said he would not appoint a new government before the end of the Olympic Games “in mid-August”, in the name of the “truce” he invoked during the sporting event.
- Emmanuel Macron also hammered home that the New Popular Front had “no majority” in the Assembly, de facto rejecting the left’s proposal to appoint its candidate, Lucie Castets, to Matignon. The left has finally reached an agreement on this profile of an ENA graduate, a graduate of SciencesPo and the London School of Economics, who has worked at the Treasury, Tracfin and is now the finance director of my Paris city hall.
- Emmanuel Macron considered that it was “not a good thing” that the National Rally was not represented in the office of the National Assembly.
- Regarding the Olympic Games, Emmanuel Macron said that “it would be fantastic news” if Celine Dion were at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games this Friday in Paris, saluting an “immense artist”.
Emmanuel Macron’s live interview
Live
21:01 – Jean-Luc Mélenchon is outraged by Emmanuel Macron’s choice
Emmanuel Macron “wants to forcefully impose his republican front on us,” laments Jean-Luc Mélenchon in reaction to the head of state’s interview. The president announced earlier in an interview that he would not appoint a new prime minister before the end of the Olympic Games, while the NFP had agreed to appoint Lucie Castets.
20:53 – End of Emmanuel Macron’s speech
The interview with the President of the Republic has just ended.
20:48 – “The Games are a life lesson”, says Emmanuel Macron
“We need to be in the top 5” for the Olympics, believes Emmanuel Macron. “Let’s apply the recipe of the Games to the country for the day after,” hopes the President of the Republic. “The Games are a life lesson,” he added, refusing to reveal the details of the ceremony. “There will even be surprises and names that you will not have thought of,” he promised.
20:39 – Emmanuel Macorn’s response to Celine Dion’s presence at the Olympics
After politics, it’s time for the Olympic Games. Emmanuel Macron wants to keep the opening ceremony a secret. “I would be immensely happy if Celine Dion could be present at the opening ceremony,” he said, with a wry smile, which invites us to “rise to the occasion.”
20:34 – No resignation for Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron rules out the possibility of resigning. The head of state also does not want a new dissolution, hoping that the different parties will reach an agreement.
8:30 p.m. – “Building compromises and getting out of the obvious”: Macron calls on the opposition to work
“The responsibility of parliamentary groups is to know how to build compromises and to get out of the obvious,” Emmanuel Macron urged. The groups must work together during this summer,” he added.
20:25 – No new government before the end of the Olympic Games
Despite pressure from the left to appoint Lucie Castet, Emmanuel Macron says he will not appoint a new government before the end of the Olympic Games. The President of the Republic is talking about “mid-August” after the Olympic Games.
20:21 – Emmanuel Macron avoids the name of Lucie Castets, proposed by the NFP to become Prime Minister
“The subject is not a name given by a political party. The question is what majority can emerge in the Assembly so that a government of France can pass reforms, pass a budget and move the country forward,” believes Emmanuel Macron, referring to Lucie Castet proposed by the NFP for Matignon.
20:18 – Emmanuel Macron denounces the behavior of certain elected officials
Emmanuel Macron castigated the attitude of some elected officials who refused to shake hands with deputies from the far-right party. “It’s not a good thing, we have to respect it,” he said.
20:15 – “It was not an easy choice”: Emmanuel Macron speaks on the dissolution
Interviewed on France 2, Emmanuel Macron considered that he had “made this choice consciously with great seriousness”. “In deciding this dissolution, it was not an easy choice. You know, I also asked for many sacrifices from the deputies of the outgoing majority and I did it with great seriousness”, he declared. “The French have placed the RN in the lead, we must hear it and respect it”, judged the head of state. Thus, the absence of the RN in the bodies of the National Assembly “is not a good thing”.
20:13 – Emmanuel Macron confirms that the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place on the Seine
Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place on the Seine. “It is indeed the scenario that was decided at the beginning that is confirmed,” he said on France 2. “Friday will open a new page, we must re-enthuse. We will all see from Friday evening that it was worth it,” he assured.
20:10 – Emmanuel Macron speaks
The interview with the President of the Republic begins. The Head of State must answer questions from France 2 journalists at 8:10 p.m.
20:04 – “The President of the Republic must no longer procrastinate”, says Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Jean-Luc Mélenchon welcomed the decision of the New Popular Front after the choice of Lucie Castets’ name for Matignon. “The President of the Republic must no longer procrastinate. He must appoint her and respect the rules of democracy. The country is impatient to see his decision applied!”, he continued. Emmanuel Macron is due to speak this evening on France 2, France Inter and franceinfo, at 8:10 p.m., about his intentions after the legislative and define the “Olympic and political truce” that he invokes.
19:55 – Fabien Roussel calls on Emmanuel Macron to “act this evening”
Fabien Roussel considered it “important” to propose a name for Matignon before Emmanuel Macron speaks. “We ask him to act this evening, and to take steps to appoint Lucie Castets as Prime Minister,” the communist said on BFMTV. “It has to be done immediately, we can’t wait. Things have to move right away,” he added.
19:38 – Lucie Castets proposed to Matignon, a reaction from Emmanuel Macron to come?
Before Emmanuel Macron’s interview, the New Popular Front proposed its name for Matignon: Lucie Castets, a senior civil servant and co-founder of the collective Nos Services Publics. After several weeks of deadlocked negotiations, the coalition of left-wing parties finally agreed on this personality. According to Article 8 of the Constitution, it is up to President Emmanuel Macron to appoint the Prime Minister.
Learn more
Emmanuel Macron will speak this Tuesday, July 23 in an exclusive interview as announced by France 2 in a press release. Three days before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the president will be live for France Télévisions and Radio France starting at 8:10 p.m. The interview should last about twenty minutes. He will answer questions from Thomas Sotto and Nathalie Iannetta live from the Trocadéro set in the 8 p.m. news on France 2.
Emmanuel Macron will take advantage of this interview to return to the current French political situation. This will also be his first interview since the second round of the legislative elections. While the NFP won the legislative elections without a majority, a deadlock has since emerged. The president has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, but the latter remains in office to take care of current affairs. According to his wishes, the appointment of a new government could then only take place after the Olympic Games. Emmanuel Macron will provide some details on this subject, but given the length of the interview, which is very short, it is possible that the head of state will evacuate questions of domestic politics very quickly.
A new call for an “Olympic truce”?
The Head of State will also not fail to mention the exceptional period that France is about to go through with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. “Emmanuel Macron will return to the French political situation and will speak about the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games 3 days before the Opening Ceremony,” the channel’s press release states.
This interview is announced as the president affirmed on Monday, July 22, that the Olympic Games should be a period of “sporting celebration” and “political truce.” “It is the Games that will be at the heart of the life of the country and the world will be in France thanks to them,” he insisted. It is a safe bet that he will reiterate this call on Tuesday. He assured that the Games were “not at all” spoiled by the dissolution of the National Assembly that he decided on June 9.