France to have government before Sunday –

France should have a government “before Sunday”, Michel Barnier announced on Thursday evening after submitting to President Emmanuel Macron a list of 38 ministers, including 16 full-time ministers, among whom are LR Bruno Retailleau at the Interior and MoDem Jean-Noël Barrot at Foreign Affairs, according to concordant sources.

The Prime Minister on Thursday gave a sharp boost to the formation of his team and to efforts to resolve the long political crisis created by the dissolution of the National Assembly.

He went to the Elysée Palace in the evening for a discussion described as “constructive” with Emmanuel Macron, according to Matignon, which specified that the new government “respects the balances”.

“It will be presented before Sunday, in light of the usual ethical checks,” added the Prime Minister’s office.

The interview lasted about fifty minutes. The President of the Republic accompanied Michel Barnier to the vestibule, saying “thank you very much, see you tomorrow”.

Earlier, the Prime Minister outlined the architecture of his team and the broad outlines of his future action during a meeting presented as decisive at Matignon with the political forces wishing to be part of it. But he did not then disclose any names.

The leader of the Republicans (LR) deputies, Laurent Wauquiez, took it upon himself to announce to his troops that he had refused the Finance portfolio and would therefore not be in the Barnier government. On the other hand, his counterpart in the Senate, Bruno Retailleau, is being proposed for the Ministry of the Interior, according to sources from the party and the former majority.

On the Macronist side, the resigned MoDem Minister for European Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot is tipped for Foreign Affairs, while the Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu should be reappointed, according to a central bloc official.

– “Latest” consultations –

Faced with partners who were raising the stakes, Michel Barnier, himself a member of LR, assured that Thursday’s consultations were the “last” before the “rapid” formation of a government.

In search of a difficult balance, he announced to them that he was considering a joint government of 38 ministers, 16 of whom would be full ministers, including seven Macronists, three from the Republicans (LR), two MoDem, one from Horizons, the party of Edouard Philippe, and one from the centrist UDI party.

While he is struggling to find left-wing personalities, from whom he has been refused several times, only one “miscellaneous left” is among these full ministers.

On the right, on the LR side, several names were mentioned following the Matignon meeting. In addition to Bruno Retailleau, MPs Patrick Hetzel and Annie Genevard are expected to be appointed respectively for Higher Education and Agriculture. In addition to these three full-time ministries, LR would inherit six other portfolios, including that of Secularism for the regional councillor of Ile-de-France Othman Nasrou and Overseas for Senator François-Noël Buffet.

The central bloc should be allocated Labour for MP Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet (Renaissance) and Health for her colleague Geneviève Darrieussecq, a member of François Bayrou’s MoDem, according to a member of the former majority.

During these discussions, Michel Barnier also provided clarifications on the issues that had fueled tensions with his partners. He stated that he would not increase taxes for the middle classes, according to several participants.

– “Vital for us” –

This commitment on taxation is “vital for us,” declared Gabriel Attal. Macronist deputies had threatened not to participate in a government planning tax increases despite the slippage of debt and deficits and the delicate preparation of the 2025 budget.

Michel Barnier also confirmed to his interlocutors that he would deliver his general policy statement to the National Assembly on October 1.

On immigration, another delicate issue, the Prime Minister wanted to implement the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, according to a participant.

Member of the Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories Group (LIOT), general budget rapporteur and French MP Charles de Courson

Ludovic MARIN – AFP

“There was rather a spirit of responsibility, support for the Prime Minister and above all the desire to provide answers,” summed up one participant.

Before this relative calm, obstacles had been piling up in recent days for Michel Barnier.

Tensions have particularly emerged at the top of the executive, during a lunch on Tuesday between Emmanuel Macron and Michel Barnier which, according to the stories that are filtering through, went badly. The Macronists were particularly worried about the weight of the LR in the future government.

Faced with the demands of both sides and the tensions between the right and the centre, the Prime Minister explained that he had discovered a “very serious budgetary situation” and considered that this deserved “better than little phrases”.

The budget calendar was greatly delayed this year by the dissolution and the very late appointment of a Prime Minister.

The 73-year-old former European Commissioner took almost two weeks to form his government, after long weeks during which the country was led by the resigning government of Gabriel Attal.

pol-are-arz-hr/ybl

By Antonio RODRIGUEZ, Anne RENAUT / Paris (AFP) / © 2024 AFP