The Republicans ask for “a new exchange” with François Bayrou before deciding on their presence within the executive

The ultimatum is set for around noon. François Bayrou asked the main political forces, excluding RN and LFI, Thursday December 19, to respond to him on their participation in the government by Friday “at midday”to clarify everyone’s positions. The vagueness mainly concerns the Republicans, who have still not made their choice official. Thursday, the boss of LR deputies, Laurent Wauquiez, asked “a new exchange” with the Prime Minister to have “clarifications”according to those around him. In a group meeting, he affirmed that the outgoing LR ministers, like Bruno Retailleau or Annie Genevard, considered that the conditions were “rather reunited to continue”. Follow our live stream.

• A government in the coming days? During a meeting in Matignon on Thursday, the Prime Minister promised party and parliamentary group leaders (excluding RN, UDR and LFI) a government appointment “before Christmas”even hoping “during the weekend”. Without committing to the participation of his people, Laurent Wauquiez asked the other representatives “a six-month stability commitment” for the future government. At the exit, the opposition did not seem convinced. “We have not found reasons not to censor it”declared the first secretary of the PS, Olivier Faure.

• A budget in February? In a form of outstretched hand to the left, which offered not to censor the government if it agreed not to use 49.3, the tenant of Matignon promised not to use this constitutional weapon “unless there is an absolute blockage on the budget” for 2025. A budget that “hope” bring to fruition “in mid-February”a very ambitious deadline given parliamentary imperatives.

• The pension file put back on the table. To try to coax the left, François Bayrou said he was ready, Thursday, on France 2, to “resume without suspend” the flammable pension reform and to think about “a different organization” of the pension system by September. A proposal well received by Force Ouvrière.

François Bayrou in video with Pau. The Prime Minister, whose presence at the municipal council of his town in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques caused controversy on Monday, launched the community council of the agglomeration of Pau, Thursday evening, by videoconference and from Matignon, according to France Bleu Béarn Bigorre.