PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has refused to invite a prime minister from the left-wing New Popular Front alliance, further plunging the country into a political crisis. The NFP insists on being at the head of the government after this group won the most seats in last month’s legislative elections, while Macron remains stubborn and says he cannot risk the stability of the nation.
Political Crisis Escalates
This political deadlock has its roots in legislative elections in July, where all sides came out without a majority of seats in the National Assembly. North of 190 seats were registered by the leftist coalition NFP, made up of the so-called hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), Socialists, Greens, and Communists. Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance took 160, while the far right wing of National Rally (RN) landed 140.
Despite the NFP’s major electoral leap, Macron has been categorical in dismissing a leftist-led government, which he says could not fathom a confidence vote in parliament. He has, therefore, turned down the entry of Lucie Castets, a candidate for the Premiership from the NFP, and this has angered the left wing coalition and their followers.
Macron’s Argument for Stability
This decision, according to Macron, was guided by his belief in the institutional stability that France needs, particularly in such a fragile economic period and in the face of global challenges. “My responsibility is that the country is not blocked nor weakened,” insisted Macron, advocating for cooperation from political forces.
The president has launched fresh deliberations with party facilitators for the formulation of a viable government, but its choices are limited. The far-right RN has reformulated its promise to veto any prospective candidate from the NFP, furthering the complexity of Macron’s task to find a way out of the fracture in the political landscape.
NFP’s Response: Protests and Impeachment Threats
The reaction of the NFP to Macron’s move was furious. The leader of the LFI, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, called for street protests and an impeachment motion against the president. This coalition regards the rejection of Emmanuel Macron as an attack on democracy. The national coordinator of LFI, Manuel Bompard, characterized the move as an “unacceptable anti-democratic coup”.
Green Party spokesperson Marine Tondelier seconded the motion, casting Macron as a leader who saw himself as above the popular will. “Three quarters of the French people want a political break with Macronism,” she exclaimed on social media.
The NFP has also stated categorically that they are not prepared to enter any further round of consultations unless the name of Lucie Castets is considered as a potential candidate. But Castets, a virtual unknown in the world of civil servants and economics, is not really a serious candidate in the eyes of many political observers.
Far-Right National Rally’s Influence
But with the far-right party the National Rally – led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella – capitalizing on the political turmoil, the NFP is now seen as a threat to French stability. Bardella, after meeting Macron on Thursday, labeled the NFP a “danger” to public order and economic life. “We intend to protect the country from a government which would break up French society,” Bardella told reporters.
It adds a whole new level of complication to Macron’s efforts to break the crisis because the NFP holds the largest bloc in the National Assembly and its attitude would be crucial for any potential new vote on forming the government.
Background of the Crisis
The seeds of the crisis were sown when Macron ordered a snap election in the face of mounting dissatisfaction with his rule. That election proved to be a hung parliament, with France paralyzed. A caretaker government has kept its position since the time of elections, overseeing key events such as the Paris Olympics-a particularly grating fact for the NFP.
The rise of the NFP reflects a broad shift in French politics, as traditional parties bleed votes to the far left and far right. Macron has cast himself as a political centrist; now he must navigate or heal the sharp divisions in France’s political life.
With Macron continuing consultations with party leaders, the question on many minds is: who will be France’s next prime minister? Names being floated in political circles include former Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and Xavier Bertrand, a regional leader from the centre-right Republicans. Both are figures seen to unite people, but it is not certain whether they can gather the necessary support in the divided parliament.
Thus, with no indication from the NFP that it might back off, the specter of more protests and political instability hangs over the country. Macron ratcheted up the pressure with his gamble in a country already struck by economic problems and social unrest.
The stakes are no less than the future of Macron’s presidency and the direction of France in the years ahead.
