France's governing arrangement: A resolution eludes Macron yet
On Tuesday, Macron chatted with unattached advocates, arranging chats for Wednesday with conservatives from the Republican group and additional centrists. Various agents from the left-leaning La France Insoumise (LFI) and the right-leaning Rassemblement National (RN) were excluded from the gathering.
Macron had urged the socialists, Greens, and communists, united in the left coalition on Monday evening, to "team up with other political forces."
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called for a "broad coalition" on Tuesday via BFMTV news channel. The pro-Macron group could perhaps align with the socialists – part of the left coalition NFP – on minimal objectives to maintain France's operationality.
However, the Socialist leader, Oliver Faure, showed minimal enthusiasm for unity. After Macron's rejection of a left alliance-led government, Faure announced he would not attend further talks at the Elysee and scorned a "farcical democracy."
Additional NFP representatives also voiced their disapproval. "We will not perpetuate this circus," stated Green leader Marine Tondelier. Communist leader Fabien Roussel pledged that the left would persist in "fighting" and urged the French to mobilize. LFI urged protests in response to Macron's decision on September 7.
The Republicans maintained their refusal to join a government coalition. Nevertheless, leading Republican Valerie Pecresse stated that her party would not block initiatives pointing towards the right direction to keep France from crashing.
The left coalition Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) emerged as the strongest force from the parliamentary election in July but couldn't secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly. The NFP demands that the president appoint their candidate, Lucie Castets, as prime minister. However, the presidential camp, conservatives, and right populists uniformly reject the left alliance's program as "risky."
Since the final week, Macron interacted with political parties; Castets was also welcomed at the Elysee Palace on Friday.
However, on Monday evening, the French president stated that other parties in the National Assembly would instantly express no confidence in a government of the left alliance. As a result, "our country's institutional stability necessitates this choice not be made." Instead, Macron urged all political leaders to "demonstrate responsibility."
Traditionally, following a parliamentary election, the largest camp in the National Assembly proposes a candidate for the prime minister post. The president has the liberty to select anyone, but he relies upon the prime minister procuring a majority for the government's legislative proposals within the National Assembly.
Macron had advocated for the parliament's re-election after RN became the strongest force in the European election in June. In the parliamentary election in early July, the right populists placed third after other candidates' tactical pullout. However, the governing camp also lost its relative majority, and unexpectedly, the left alliance surged to the top. None of the three camps boast a stable majority in the National Assembly.
Given the ongoing Paris Olympic Games that concluded on August 11, Macron left the existing government headed by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal temporarily in place. With the pressing deadline to submit a draft budget for 2025 by October, time is of the essence.
Macron's push for collaboration with other political forces was met with skepticism from the Socialist leader, who deemed further talks at the Elysee as farcical after Macron's rejection of a left alliance-led government. The conservatives from the Republican group, along with other centrists, were scheduled for chats with Macron the following day, with a potential alignment on minimal objectives to maintain France's operationality.
