French President Emmanuel Macron is working towards establishing a broad and stable majority in the country by holding meetings with key political leaders from various parties. The left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP) opened the consultations at the Elysée presidential palace, discussing potential candidates for prime minister. Macron had rejected the proposed candidate, Lucie Castets, before the Paris Olympics, leading to tension with the left-wing coalition. Macron plans to meet with other parties, including the centrist bloc, the conservative right-wing party, and far-right leaders Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen from the National Rally party. A new prime minister will not be appointed until Tuesday, according to the Élysée Palace.
Emmanuel Macron is aiming for a fair and sincere dialogue during the consultations with the different political parties to ensure they are useful for the country. With the NFP falling just short of an absolute majority, Macron seems to be ruling out appointing Lucie Castets and is exploring options for potentially creating an alternative majority, including with some right and moderate socialist members. The right and far-right parties have threatened to bring down a left-wing government if ministers from the hard-left France Unbowed party are appointed. Despite not having an absolute majority, the NFP coalition has expressed readiness to govern and criticized Macron’s inaction as serious and dangerous.
The NFP coalition, made up of France Unbowed, the Socialists, the Communists, and the Greens, has been facing internal divisions and disagreements since its creation after Macron dissolved parliament. The France Unbowed party, led by Jean-Luc Mélénchon, is threatening impeachment procedures if Macron does not appoint Lucie Castets as prime minister, a move that is not supported by the Socialist Party and the Greens. Lucie Castets, despite being relatively unknown to the general public and never holding a mandate, has gained some popularity with positive opinions in a poll conducted by Harris Interactive. Other potential candidates for prime minister include far-right MEP Jordan Bardella and former right-wing minister Xavier Bertrand.
As Macron continues his consultations with political party leaders, the discussions are focused on naming a future government and prime minister that can lead the country effectively. The NFP coalition, despite not having an absolute majority, is determined to govern and is seeking compromises within the absence of a clear majority in the National Assembly. Macron is working to avoid a potential crisis by engaging in dialogue with various parties and exploring different options for forming a stable majority. The outcome of these consultations and the appointment of a new prime minister will shape the political landscape in France and determine the direction of the government moving forward.
