The appointment of François Bayrou to Matignon this Friday arouses strong reactions, some, like La France insoumise, already calling for censorship of the new head of government.
Nearly ten days after the censorship of Michel Barnier by the National Assembly, Emmanuel Macron appointed François Bayrou as new Prime Minister this Friday, December 13, 2024. The president of Modem assured that there was “a path to find” leading to the “necessary reconciliation” of the country, specifying that “everyone understands the difficulty of the task.” The question of censorship of François Bayrou is already on the table, even before his general policy declaration.
If La France insoumise has already called for censorship, other political forces on the left, such as the PS, have set their conditions. On the far right, “no a priori censorship”, while on the right the Republicans are waiting “for the Prime Minister (…) to present his project.”
• For the RN, “there will be no a priori censorship”
The president of the National Rally Jordan Bardella assured that there “will be no a priori censorship” of the far-right party. “Our a priori censorship would have been initiated against a personality from the left and from the extreme left. We had indicated that we were ready not to censor a priori a personality or a profile which would come from the right and the center”, explains Jordan Bardella to the press.
Jordan Bardella nevertheless called on the new Prime Minister to “take into consideration the new political situation” and to “understand that he does not have democratic legitimacy nor a majority in the National Assembly, which presupposes a dialogue with the “all the forces represented in Parliament”.
His ally Éric Ciotti also announced that François Bayrou “will not be subject to a priori censorship” from his parliamentary group, the Union of Rights for the Republic, specifying that “our red lines remain unchanged: no increase in taxation, no increase in immigration and the courage to finally reduce the perimeter of the State!”
• The LR conditions their participation in the Bayrou “project”
Laurent Wauquiez, leader of the Republican Right group in the National Assembly, wrote on X that his troops are “now waiting for the Prime Minister to present his project to us.” The right-wing party recognized that their choice is less “easy” than with its predecessor Michel Barnier.
“The profile and background of François Bayrou are not the same as those of Michel Barnier. (…) It is based on this project that we will decide together on possible participation,” declared the deputy of the Haute-Loire.
• For LIOT, the appointment of Bayrou is “rather good news”
The spokesperson for the LIOT group (Libertés, Indépendants, Outre-mer et Territoires) Harold Huwart judged on Franceinfo that the arrival at Matignon of François Bayrou is “rather good news”, specifying that it is ” last chance government.”
“The interest of the country requires creating the conditions for the largest gathering of all republicans (…) Today, the spirit of responsibility must prevail, it is up to the Prime Minister to create the conditions for this gathering “, said Harold Huwart.
The group has 23 deputies in the National Assembly.
• The PS asks the Prime Minister to “renounce 49.3”
Through a press release, the Socialist Party indicated that they “will not participate” in the government that François Bayrou will form. The PS asks Michel Barnier's successor to renounce 49.3 in exchange for non-censorship.
The socialists also asked the new head of government for “a guarantee that (the) government will in no way place itself under the dependence of the National Rally, nor will it take over its xenophobic program.”
• For the communists, “no 49.3”
On X, the national secretary of the Communist Party Fabien Roussel called for “a change of political course, respect for Parliament and not 49-3”. According to him, the appointment of the mayor of Pau to the post of Prime Minister is “bad news.”
• LFI will file a motion of censure
Believing that the appointment of François Bayrou to Matignon is “a new arm of honor against democracy”, Manuel Bompard, national coordinator of La France insoumise, announced that his party will table a motion of censure.
The president of the LFI group in the National Assembly Mathilde Panot estimated that “two choices will be available to deputies: support for Macron's rescue or censorship.”
• The Ecologists will censor if the same economic policy and if Retailleau remains in the Interior
The national secretary of the Ecologists Marine Tondelier judged the appointment of François Bayrou to Matignon “incomprehensible on the electoral level.”
“If it is to keep the same strategic positions including Mr. Retailleau in the Interior, if it is to do nothing on pensions, ecology and tax justice, I do not see what other choice we would have to censor it when we have the opportunity,” threatened the patron saint of environmentalists.
