French President Emmanuel Macron invites the party leaders from both houses to negotiations tomorrow of the national parliament. The aim is to determine a new prime minister of the country, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA, referring to the presidential office.
After snap elections on July 7 failed to produce a clear majority in parliament and Macron's centrist coalition was defeated, the resigned government of Gabriel Attal continued to rule France temporarily for the duration of the Paris Olympics.
A week after the event's closing ceremony, critics accuse Macron of delaying the appointment of a new cabinet. It remains to be seen whether tomorrow's talks will end the political impasse in the Fifth Republic.
Parliamentary elections in France left the National Assembly divided into three roughly equal parts, but the coalition that won the most seats, the New Popular Front, won. (NNF) nominated Lucie Castes, a 37-year-old economist and director of financial affairs at Paris City Hall, as its choice for prime minister. Macron, who as president has the right to appoint the head of government, agreed to have her attend the discussions, but has already rejected her from the post, AFP reported. Macron's forces would prefer a coalition with the traditional right and part of the center-left, the agency notes.
Possible figures for a new prime minister, in addition to the leftist Lucie Castes, include the former socialist prime minister, defined as a “heavyweight politician”, Bernard Cazeneuve, and the conservative Xavier Bertrand, notes “Politico”.
However, the NNF is adamant that the new prime minister must come from its ranks. Thus, the far-left “Rebellious France”, which is the main party in the coalition, threatened Macron with impeachment in the pages of the “Tribune”. “It is strange to see how the President of the French Republic rejects not only the result of the vote, but also Lucie Castes, the person proposed for Prime Minister by the coalition that was first - the NNF. (...) Art. 68 of the Constitution of France defines the conditions for the dismissal of the head of state”, the leadership of the NNF stated in the article.
However, the chances of impeachment against Macron are small, notes Radio “France International”. Castes in turn downplays the issue, focusing instead on “coexistence” between Macron's centrist forces and the leftist coalition. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure flatly rejected the idea, which could shake up the left-wing coalition. Acting Interior Minister Gérald Darmanen dismissed the possibility of impeachment as “a desire of the extreme left to plunge France into anarchy”.
In any case, the left bloc will continue to insist that Castes be appointed prime minister, said Manuel Bompard, a senior official in “Rebellious France”, quoted by “Mond”.
Thus, the process of building the government in France is still shrouded in obscurity. Commentators are divided.
“It is better not to be governed at all than to be governed badly, and the period without a government actually had a positive side”, points out the magazine “Poan”. “We had to wait until 2024 to realize the benefits of the long transition phase. There is no cabinet trying to convince voters on a daily basis of the benefits of its existence. There is not another “important law” to be discussed in the parliament. There is no preparation for the next “grand plan” in the office. There is no "big reform" to be pulled out of the drawer after the summer vacation. Citizens can rest easy as long as the economy runs undisturbed,”, argues the author of the article, Luc de Barochet.
“Better a mature decision than a hasty one, because democratic processes take time”, in turn reassures his readers in "Croix”. “The series of events is just a reminder that electing a prime minister, building a coalition and drawing up a government contract are not things that can be done in a day. Of course, a strong executive with an absolute majority is more effective. But in the end, democracy consists of endless discussions and broken promises. And also from rules, checks and balances that slow down the decision-making process. The current clarification of the situation is undoubtedly a necessary period, but it will become an extremely profitable investment once the negotiations really begin,”, the authors of the publication claim.
On the opposite view is “Figaro”, according to which what is happening is a disappointing postponement against the background of enormous challenges. “Deputies of the National Assembly are enjoying the end of their vacations and indifference is spreading among the French, who are still enjoying the success of the Olympic Games in the absence of a government. So why not just postpone it again? But this is a dangerous illusion. Because in reality the challenges facing France are huge: a budget has to be passed, there is a shortage of housing, we need to fight illegal immigration, we need re-industrialisation, we need to support schools and hospitals, the ecological transition. Our country needs a government. And quickly”, warns the publication.
“Stagnation is not an option - the government must act together and quickly”, writes “Opinion”. “We should not wait - this will only strengthen the “National Assembly” party. The pitiful spectacle will only fuel the anger of an electorate as bitter as it is outraged. The country cannot afford a budget crisis. After all, the president himself decides when to dissolve the parliament. And he lost. And if he still believes that he can turn this defeat into a victory, he should not try to do so, as a protaka, since this would be at the cost of neglecting the republican traditions”, warns the author of the article Remy Godot.
“One wonders if the gods think that a government is necessary for France at all. After all, Belgium survived 592 days without one years ago, and the Netherlands 7 months in 2023. Is it worth the trouble?”, rhetorically asks observer John Keiger from the pages of the British “Spectator”. With a parliament divided into three and no group with prospects of a functional majority, a stable government would be as elusive as under the Fourth Republic, when governments changed every six months, or under the Third, when the average cabinet lasted nine”, recalls the author .
“A clear crisis of parliamentarism”, the political observer Yanos Tanasekos is outraged from the pages of the Greek edition “Ephimeridas ton Syndakton”. “President Macron continues to rule calmly, as if nothing happened, as if there were no elections, as if there was no government, no prime minister, no parliament, no political parties: “The state – it's me!“ This France remains an “example”, but an example of a general phenomenon of the last twenty years, marked by the crisis of bourgeois representative democracy and liberal parliamentarism. After dissolving the National Assembly and calling new elections, Macron brazenly tells us that the functioning of the Fifth French Republic requires neither elections, nor parliament, nor political parties”, the author is outraged.
Only a month and a half ago, it was hard to imagine that President Macron would retain his influence on political processes. But despite not winning the elections, he is gradually winning in the post-election negotiations, summarizes the Ukrainian newspaper "European Justice".