Gabriel Attal claims “the right to be demanding” of the future Barnier government
Opening the meeting of the 97 deputies of the Ensemble pour la République group, which he now leads, Gabriel Attal said he rejected “any sterile blockage”, but claimed “the right to be demanding”. “We are not about to sell out our values. We will defend our ideas and we will defend them with force.”he warned.
The Macronist deputies, who are receiving Michel Barnier this Tuesday evening, are waiting “strong commitments” of the Prime Minister on their « programme » and their “values”said Mr. Attal, who recalled the presidential party’s wish to see Mr. Barnier resort to “people from the Republican right, the central bloc, and the Republican left” to form his government.
More “Besides our duties, we also have rights. We have the right to demand. No majority can be written without us. No vote can be won without us.”added the former prime minister.
A balanced position which reflects the unease of some. “I don’t know if I’m in the majority or [dans] l’opposition »asked MP Ludovic Mendes, judging that Michel Barnier is giving for the moment “no more pledges to [la] right and far right”. “Its composition and its roadmap are inseparable”believes Macronist MP Marc Ferracci, who hopes that the government will understand “people from the central bloc in due proportion to what we represent in the Assembly”.
During this meeting, according to Agence France-Presse, which relies on testimonies from participants, the resigning Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin suggested that the potential ministers of the presidential camp could leave the government en bloc if “red lines” were crossed. The resigning minister and new vice-president of the National Assembly, Roland Lescure, mentioned a possible “incompatibility” with personalities that Mr Barnier could use to form his team, without naming names, but probably targeting leaders of the right-wing party Les Républicains.
