 "Why doesn’t France have a PM two months after polls? Whom is Macron considering?")
France still doesn’t have a new prime minister.
Nearly two months after the country held elections, France’s President Emmanuel Macron is yet to appoint a prime minister.
Macron in recent days has met two former presidents and zeroed in on three potential candidates.
But why is France in this position? And who are the newest names doing the rounds?
Let’s take a closer look:
Why is France in this position?
France has no government because the snap elections called in July resulted in a hung parliament.
Macron had surprised many by calling snap elections after the far-right National Rally (RN) trounced his centrist alliance in the EU polls.
The election, which also came two years after Macron lost his absolute parliamentary majority in 2022, saw voters give most parliamentary seats to the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance – a broad leftist coalition.
The results, in which Macron’s own centrist Macron’s Together for the Republic alliance came second, also kept the far right National Rally out of power.
However, the polls also put France in the unprecedented position – at least in modern history – of having no dominant political bloc in its parliament.
None of the three blocs are even close to having a majority of 289 seats out of 577.
The NPF secured 182 seats, Macron’s Together for the Republic centrist coalition got 168 seats and the National Rally party got 143 seats.
The conservative Républicains (LR) picked up 46 seats, while independent candidates picked up 38 seats.
The National Assembly is the more important of France’s two houses of parliament. It has the final say in the lawmaking process over France’s Senate, which is dominated by conservatives.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMacron has steadfastly refused to appoint the NFP candidate Lucie Castet as prime minister.
As per NewsX, Macron has claimed that a left-wing candidate would not survive a confidence vote in parliament.
Indeed, Macron is in a tough position because of the nature of the split lower house – which will require lawmakers to build consensus across parties to agree on government positions and a legislative agenda.
France’s fractious politics and deep divisions over taxes, immigration and West Asia policy make that especially challenging.
As per Politico, while the NFP wants to increase taxes on the top 1 per cent to fund public services, right-wing parties want to do away with the welfare state.
The results means Macron’s centrist allies almost certainly won’t be able to implement their pro-business proposals such a promise to overhaul unemployment benefits.
It could also make passing a budget more difficult.
Macron is under growing pressure – even from his own allies to make a decision.
“The situation calls for a fairly rapid resolution,” François Bayrou, the leader of the the Centrist Modem party, which is allied with Macron, was quoted as saying by Politico over the weekend.
Macron is also facing a time crunch.
As per Politico, France’s new government will have till 1 October to submit a new budget.
Which names are doing the rounds?
According to several reports, Macron, in his search to find a prime minister, has zeroed in on three candidates – Xavier Bertrand, Bernard Cazeneuve and Thierry Beaudet.
Bertrand is a leader of the conservative Les Républicains party and the chief of the northern Hauts-de-France region.
As per NewsX, Bertrand, a former government minister, would be the choice of the right-wing parties.
The Guardian reported that Macron has consulted a number of right-wing leaders including Gérard Larcher, Laurent Wauquiez et Bruno Retailleau about Bertrand’s candidacy.
Cazeneuve, 61, was prime minister from 2016 to 2017 under Socialist president François Hollande.
As per NewsX, Cazeneuve, an ex-Socialist leader, served as interior minister during the 2015 Paris attacks.
He is thought to be esteemed across political lines.
However, the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party – which is part of the NFP coalition – has dismissed Cazeneuve’s candidacy and claimed he is part of the “old world.”
Cazeneuve’s team told Politico he “says he’s not a candidate. If he’s asked, he’ll do it, out of duty, but he won’t do it at any price.”
Beaudet is president of the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) – which advises lawmakers on social and economic policies
As per Connexion France, Macron reached out to Beaudet, a former teacher, at the end of August.
Beaudet has zero political experience and is a technocrat – ironically a criticism that was levelled at Macron before he took office.
As per NewX, when it comes to the public Beaudet is a virtual unknown.
As per Le Monde, Beaudet formerly ran a group of non-profit health insurance companies.
He has also worked with business leaders and labour unions and heads the consultative body that held two citizens’ conventions on climate and assisted dying initiated by Macron.
L’Opinion reported that Beaudet was offered the job at an August 29 meeting.
Beaudet accepted with one caveat – that he be allowed to “steer the government to the left.”
However, it is far from a done deal because some from Macron’s own party have expressed scepticism over Beaudet’s candidacy.
“The idea was greeted with doubt by the president’s parliamentary alliance,” an unnamed member of Macron’s Renaissance party told Politico.
“Waiting seven weeks to name a technocrat who will apply Macronist policies would be to deny the election result,” another Renaissance official added. “Not only denying the result, but even the fact that there were elections.
“He will be eaten up by the crocodiles.”
Macron also recently met former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.
As per NewsX, it is tradition for French presidents to meet their predecessors at times of national strife and seek their advice.
Sarkozy has pushed for Bertrand as prime minister claiming that the “centre of gravity of French politics is on the right.”
As per NewsX, Macron under France’s Constitution is not duty bound to choose a prime minister from the largest bloc.
However, he must ensure that the new government can survive a no-confidence vote.
What about Macron?
With no majority and little possibility of implementing his own agenda, Macron came out weakened from the election.
But the president’s term runs until 2027, and he insists he won’t step down.
France Unbowed has also demanded Macron’s impeachment for “serious failings” in his constitutional duties, as per Le Monde.
However, the party doesn’t seem to have the votes for it.
Under France’s Constitution, Macron still holds power over foreign policy, European affairs and defence and is in charge of negotiating and ratifying international treaties.
The president is also the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces and holds the nuclear codes.
The prime minister is accountable to parliament, leads the government and introduces bills. The new prime minister might be unable or unwilling to seriously challenge Macron’s defense and foreign policy powers.
With inputs from agencies
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