A final council of ministers then a new head of government in France: President Emmanuel Macron has promised to appoint by Thursday, and potentially as early as this Wednesday, the next Prime Minister who will be responsible for negotiating an agreement to avoid a second censorship of the executive.
The day after an unprecedented meeting of the heads of the different political parties, excluding the extreme right and radical left, around Mr. Macron, the short-lived Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his government met one last time on Wednesday morning at the Palace of the Elysium.
During this council of ministers a draft “special law” was presented to ensure “the continuity of public services and the life of the country” from January.
The government’s censorship last week, three months after his appointment, effectively left the 2025 budget in suspense, which aimed to restore public finances, with the objective of reducing the public deficit to 5% of GDP.
With a deficit expected to exceed 6% of GDP this year, France displays the worst performance of the 27 member states of the European Union with the exception of Romania, far from the 3% ceiling authorized by the EU.
This “temporary law” will be examined on Monday in the National Assembly, then on December 18 in the Senate. The text is reduced to its simplest expression to authorize the government to raise taxes and spend credits on the basis of the 2024 budget.
Non-censorship agreement
During this council of ministers, Mr. Macron said that the “base” of parties bringing together the presidential camp and the right could not “as it stands” be expanded, reported government spokesperson Maud Bregeon. .
He explained “that it now remained to be seen whether some were ready to broaden this base or to agree on a principle of non-censorship,” she said.
“The country has neither the luxury of instability nor the luxury of inaction,” she argued, without specifying whether this meant that the president would choose a prime minister in this outgoing coalition.
Tuesday, in front of the leaders of the communists, socialists, ecologists, the presidential camp and the right-wing party The Republicans (LR), Mr. Macron promised to appoint a head of government “within 48 hours”. Several relatives are counting on a choice from Wednesday evening, Mr. Macron going to Poland on Thursday.
The new tenant of Matignon is then tasked with negotiating with these parties for participation in the government, or their support for certain texts or even a “non-censorship” agreement. Only then will he put together his team.
Mr. Macron stressed “his desire not to dissolve” the Assembly again between now and the end of his mandate in 2027, according to his entourage. He also noted “unanimity among political forces to no longer depend on the National Rally”, the far-right party.
Prime Minister’s decision
Mr. Macron, to everyone’s surprise, dissolved the Assembly in June, after the defeat of his European camp in the face of the far right. The early legislative elections resulted in an Assembly fragmented into three blocs (alliance of left, Macronists and right, extreme right) without an absolute majority.
The left proposed, if one of its own was appointed to Matignon, not to use 49.3, this constitutional tool which allows laws to be adopted without a vote, if, in exchange, the opponents undertake not to censor the executive.
“A staggering commitment, a circumvention of the Constitution,” reacted the leader of the far right in France, Marine Le Pen, “not unhappy” to be sidelined, while an Ifop/ Fudicial gives him more than 35% of voting intentions in the first round of the next presidential election.
Who will be nominated?
All officials received on Tuesday suspend their decision in the name of the future Prime Minister.
The most optimistic Tuesday evening was François Bayrou, president of the centrist MoDem party, a long-time ally of the head of state, who seems to retain his place among the favorites.
Mr. Bayrou, who had lunch on Thursday with Mr. Macron and was received again Tuesday morning at the Élysée, welcomed a meeting that was “positive in an unexpected way” that could lead to a “democratic cooperation agreement.”
But the new Prime Minister “cannot be François Bayrou” who would embody a “continuity” of Macronism, said Wednesday morning the boss of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, who wants a head of government “from the left”, this one having come first in the legislative elections.
Mr. Faure, however, remained evasive on the attitude of his party if Mr. Macron nominated him despite everything.
In the presidential camp, the names of the resigning ministers of Health, Catherine Vautrin, and of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, are also circulating. The current French special envoy to Lebanon and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, from the Socialist Party, Jean-Yves Le Drian, declined, but some still hoped to convince him, according to Macronist sources.
The leader of the radical left party, La France insoumise (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, warned his socialist, environmentalist and communist allies on Tuesday evening against possible betrayal. “No coalition deal! No ‘uncensored’. Come back to your senses and come home!”, he shouted.
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