After the election - France is looking for a new prime minister. But how much power will he actually have?
On the day following the surprising result of the parliamentary election, France must reorganize itself. The right-wing shift is weaker than anticipated – in the newly elected National Assembly, the new Left Alliance has won according to the provisional official result. The Centrist bloc of President Emmanuel Macron comes in second place, and the Rassemblement National of Marine Le Pen, which was seen as the favorite after the first round, comes in third. The Interior Ministry in Paris announced this without assigning any of the elected deputies to one of the major parties. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced initial consequences and announced her resignation.
However, why is the Prime Minister announcing consequences, not President Macron?
The French President has certain rights according to the constitution that he can exercise without control by other constitutional bodies. These include the appointment of prime ministers, the dissolution of the National Assembly, and the declaration of a state of emergency. In addition, Charles de Gaulle, the first president of the Fifth Republic (since 1958), shaped the role of the head of state and went beyond the constitution in the areas of foreign, security, and European policy and in every internal policy he considered important. De Gaulle – and not the prime minister – determined the policy in these areas. French presidents still orient themselves towards this model today. The fact that the head of state is directly elected by the people gives him additional legitimacy.
The Role of the Prime Minister in France
On the other hand, the French prime minister conducts the affairs of government and proposes to the president the ministers and ministers who are then appointed. The prime minister is responsible to the parliament and dependent on the president's trust. Under the leadership of the prime minister, the government determines and steers the "policy of the nation," that is, mainly in domestic political decisions.
It is unclear whether President Macron will accept Borne's resignation and appoint a Leftist as prime minister. In such a configuration, Macron would lose power, the prime minister, who leads the government affairs, would become more important. In fact, Macron has "temporarily" rejected Borne's resignation request and asked her to stay in office to "maintain the stability of the country," as was stated at the Elysée Palace on Monday. Macron could therefore postpone the government reshuffle until after the NATO summit and the Olympic Games. It is also possible that Macron will subsequently appoint an independent expert as prime minister, following the Italian model of Mario Draghi. The situation in France remains unclear – and exciting.
- In light of the ongoing political situation, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne is currently responsible for proposing ministers to President Macron for appointment.
- Despite the surprising election results, Gabriel Attal, a prominent member of the Left Alliance, is not yet considered a prime ministerial candidate in France.
- The Rassemblement National, led by Marine Le Pen, may have come in third place, but they still hold significant influence in French politics, particularly in the context of German-French relations.
- In the aftermath of the election, it is speculated that Prime Minister Borne might undergo a power shift, potentially making her position more prominent under President Macron's leadership.
