Political crisis in France as Macron rejects candidates for prime minister – Channel 4 News

Aug 27, 2024

It has been almost two months since elections were held in France, but President Emmanuel Macron has so far rejected all candidates for a replacement prime minister.

By Georg von Harrach, European reporter

It has been almost two months since elections were held in France, but President Emmanuel Macron has so far rejected all candidates for a replacement prime minister.

He called the surprise early national parliamentary elections in June, after a surge in support for the far right in the European elections. It was a huge political risk. Macron seemed to be gambling that the French would recoil in a national poll at the prospect of having the far right in government.

But the move backfired dramatically.

Instead, most of the votes went neither to the far right nor to Macron’s own centrist party, but to the New Popular Front, a hastily assembled coalition of left-wing and green parties. Macron’s party came in second, pushing Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National into third place.

No party obtained an absolute majority.

Macron further angered his opponents by postponing political talks while Paris was hosting the Summer Olympics. After finally meeting with party leaders in recent days, the Elysee Palace issued a statement last night rejecting all proposed candidates for prime minister:

“At this unprecedented time for the Fifth Republic, when the expectations of French women and men are high, the Head of State calls on all political leaders to seize the opportunity and show a spirit of responsibility.”

The president seems to want a candidate who can get support from all parties. But none of the diametrically opposed parties wants to work together. Even if they won the most seats, without a majority the New Popular Front would not be able to govern.

Their candidate Lucie Castets complained on French radio this morning:

“The president waited at least a month before starting his consultations. And now we are telling the French people that you were moved (to vote), but that it is worthless. You voted wrongly. Democracy means nothing to the president and I find that extremely dangerous.”

Meanwhile, the far right claimed the French president was fanning the political storm. Marine Le Pen told reporters:

“Emmanuel Macron has chosen chaos. We have the feeling that he will let this chaos continue until September.”

Macron has promised further rounds of negotiations between the parties. But he has lashed out at the New Popular Front for what he sees as their stubbornness:

“The Socialist Party, the Ecologists and the Communists (who form the New Popular Front) have not yet proposed ways of cooperation with the other political forces. It is now up to them to do so.”

The New Popular Front had a mandate to block the far right, but also to punish Macron’s Renaissance Party. A host of names, including former minister and Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, are being mentioned as possible candidates for prime minister.

It won’t be easy to find a compromise candidate.

Meanwhile, Macron’s 35-year-old wunderkind, Gabriel Attal, will continue to lead the interim government until the political crisis is resolved.