Francois Bayrou.
AFP
New French Prime Minister François Bayrou consults political forces on Monday and Tuesday while putting together his government, seeking a narrow path to passing a 2025 budget in a fractured political landscape.
The Prime Minister was to begin speaking on Monday morning with the president of the group of National Rally deputies (far right), Marine Le Pen, who on Sunday castigated a “contemptible coalition of opposites” but will not censor “a priori”, accompanied by party president Jordan Bardella.
Mr. Bayrou, who made a point of personally calling each group leader, will then speak with former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, both leader of the Macronist deputies Ensemble pour la République (EPR), and leader of the presidential party Renaissance, which showed its support.
Will follow the leaders of socialist groups in Parliament and the First Secretary of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure who have no intention of entering the government but have shown themselves ready to discuss on different subjects, such as a “social conference” on pensions or the taxation of high incomes. So many proposals which had received the support of François Bayrou’s party, the MoDem (center), in the Assembly.
The leader of the Republican Right (DR) deputies Laurent Wauquiez will come alone. His party Les Républicains conditions the participation of the right in government on the “project” that François Bayrou will present to them.
La France insoumise (radical left), which has already promised censorship, refused to meet François Bayrou in this context, out of “fear” according to its leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon “that it would all be a comedy again”.
A team to build
Alongside these consultations intended to measure the support available to him, Mr. Bayrou is refining his team, which he wants to be tighter and dominated by experienced “personalities”.
“I will be a Prime Minister in full exercise and complementarity” with the president, said François Bayrou in the weekly La Tribune Dimanche. The Prime Minister, however, does not intend to fight over state positions, which fall under the so-called “reserved” domain, according to a government source.
François Bayrou’s party currently holds the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with Jean-Noël Barrot.
Time is running out
Time is running out for the formation of the government because it will be the one that will carry the new finance bill for 2025, interrupted by censorship, while the deficit is worsening and the rating agencies are frowning.
French deputies will examine on Monday a special bill, intended to guarantee the continuity of the State, by allowing taxes to be raised, spending credits on the basis of the previous budget, and authorizing the State and Social Security to borrow.
(afp)
