The French president, Emmanuel Macronharshly criticized the opposition this Thursday for having overthrown the Government of Michel Barnier “to create the disorder“and, despite the fiasco, he will repeat the same tactic in search of a prime minister “of general interest” appealing to the unit and the responsibility.
In a televised address to the country, Macron explained that he will announce a prime minister “in the next few days” and that he will be tasked with forming a Government that represents all the political forces willing to “participate in it” or that “At least they commit” not to subject him to a motion of censure.
It is the same tactic that he proposed last September and that led him to appoint Barnier, Coming from the right and former European negotiator for Brexitwith the support of the macronist center and the conservatives and under the watchful tutelage of the extreme right of Marine Le Penwhich, unlike the left, promised not to try to overthrow him from the start.
But in three months that fragile balance was broken by the first test of fire: the preparation of some austere budgets that allow in 2025 to reduce the shot french deficit (6.1% of GDP projected for this year) and meet the requirements of Brussels.
“He has been subjected to a motion of censure because “The extreme right and the extreme left have united in an anti-republican front.”lamented the president, without stopping attacking the rest of the forces on the left that his deputies also joined to bring down Barnier.
They voted “to undo, to create disorder”he said, and the motion has left France without a Government and without budgets “a few days before the Christmas holidays.” “They are not thinking about you, but about the presidential election” 2027, Macron assured the French.
Build commitments and priority into budgets
Despite the social unrest and the opposition requests for resignation that have redoubled in recent days, Macron assured that he will “fully” fulfill his mandate as head of state “until the end”, in 2027.
He added that he is aware that the current situation comes from his own decision to dissolve the National Assembly last June to call early elections, and that that position “was not understood”.
Macron argued, however, that he considered it “necessary” to call those elections and recalled that by constitutional mandate There cannot be others until one year is up..
This makes it necessary for the political parties to understand each other in a National Assembly that is more fragmented than ever, with three apparently irreconcilable blocks (left, center and right and extreme right) and without clear absolute majorities.
France and Europe “need a Government,” he insisted, and that is why “from today “a new era must begin” in which “we all have to work for France”for which “they will need new commitments”he highlighted.
The French president also explained that the new Executive must approve a transitional law to extend the 2024 budgetsso that the activity of the State is not interrupted, and launch new ones by 2025at the beginning of next year, which will be “the priority” of that Executive.
More of the same for the opposition
Macron’s speech came as little surprise to the oppositionwho immediately criticized the presidential stance of not assuming responsibilities and targeting the rest.
“A reminder to President Macron, who is supposed to be the guarantor of the Constitution: the motion of censure is not anti-republicanis provided for in the Constitution of our Fifth Republic,” he launched Marine Le Pen through the social network X.
For the left, the president’s speech made it clear that, as he did in September, there is no question of appointing a name proposed by the left-wing coalition of the New Popular Front (NFP, which brings together the socialists, the insubordinates, the environmentalists and the communists), despite having been the force that came out on top in terms of number of deputies in the July legislative elections.
“I feel that we have before us a president of the Republic who “He is the boss of everything but he is not responsible for anything.”he stated Lucie Castetswho was the candidate proposed in the summer by the NFP to occupy the Matignon palace.
At the moment, the names that have been most popular for the position of prime minister range from the center to the conservative right. This is the case of the faithful Macronist Sebastien LecornuMinister of Defense since 2017, from the centrist François Bayrouor the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleaubelonging to the traditional right and not so far from the extreme right in many positions.
The search for the new prime minister continues at the Elysée, where Macron will receive the leaders of the parliamentary groups of the centerof the socialism and of the conservatives.
