Macron to Appoint New Prime Minister Amid Political Crisis

Thursday 12 December 2024 - 09:02

French President Emmanuel Macron is working against the clock to meet a 48-hour deadline to appoint a new prime minister after the recent ouster of Michel Barnier's government through a historic no-confidence vote. Macron’s push comes after a series of meetings with political leaders on Tuesday, in an attempt to form a "government of national interest" and avoid a prolonged political crisis.

The leaders of the far-right National Rally (RN) and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), who collaborated to remove Barnier, were excluded from the discussions. Macron faces immense pressure to create a broad political alliance that will allow the new government to survive a no-confidence vote and pass next year's budget.

Macron, who is scheduled to travel to Poland on Thursday, expressed his aim to name the new prime minister within 48 hours. While he hopes to win over the Socialists, Greens, and Communists, these parties are demanding that the new prime minister be from their ranks.

Among the potential candidates, François Bayrou, a centrist ally of Macron and former justice minister, is considered by many to be a likely choice. However, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure has expressed opposition to Bayrou’s candidacy, arguing that the prime minister should come from the left.

Other candidates under consideration include former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and current Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu. Macron's caretaker government, led by spokesperson Maud Bregeon, has discussed the possibility of a non-aggression pact, where parties would commit not to destabilize the government.

In exchange, the left has signaled they would refrain from invoking Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows the government to bypass a vote on controversial legislation. In return, Macron’s opponents would have to promise not to bring down the new government.

Macron has also praised the outgoing government, acknowledging the seriousness of last week’s no-confidence vote. On Wednesday, a special draft law aimed at ensuring the French government’s continued function in the new year was presented to the Council of Ministers, with widespread support expected from most political parties.

Last week's ouster of Barnier followed a standoff over an austerity budget and came after Macron dissolved parliament in June, following disappointing results for his party in European elections. The subsequent snap elections produced a hung parliament, forcing Macron to seek consensus among diverse political factions.

Meanwhile, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who played a key role in the ouster, expressed indifference at not being invited to the talks. An Ifop-Fiducial poll for Le Figaro Magazine and Sud Radio published Wednesday showed Le Pen would likely secure between 36 and 38 percent of the vote in the first round of the upcoming presidential election, with former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe trailing at 25 percent.