General election: France explores government options after Macron defeat

General election: France explores government options after Macron defeat

After the gossip for Head of State Macron in the parliamentary elections, France is facing a difficult government formation. How should things proceed in the National Assembly without an absolute majority for the presidential camp?

After the bitter election defeat for President Emmanuel Macron, consultations for a future government began in France on Monday. For the first time in 30 years, the President can no longer rely on an absolute but only on a simple majority in Parliament.

His centre-camp now has to seek the support of other alliances in parliament, which is unusual in France. A political blockade is feared, because the other blocs have so far committed themselves to a tough opposition course against Macron and his policies.

According to the provisional official final result, the Macron camp came to 245 of the 577 seats on Sunday and thus missed an absolute majority. The new left alliance, led by left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon, won 131 seats. Marine Le Pen’s right-wing national Rassemblement National party gained a massive 89 seats. The traditional Republican People’s Party and its allies got 74 seats, a heavy loss.

Conservatives: rejection of cooperation with Macron

“We are in opposition and we remain in opposition to Emmanuel Macron,” tweeted French Conservative leader Christian Jacob on Monday afternoon. On election night, his Républicains were named as the favorites for cooperation – but the party’s general secretary, Aurélien Pradié, dampened expectations. “There is no question of making any kind of pact with Emmanuel Macron to save his political survival,” he told the newspaper Le Parisien. It remains to be seen whether the position of the party, which itself has suffered severe losses, will change.

There were already direct consequences of the election debacle for some members of the government. Two female ministers in the newly formed cabinet will have to vacate their posts after failing to gain a majority in their constituencies. Macron had established this rule before the election. Environment Minister Amélie de Montchalin and Health Minister Brigitte Bourguignon are affected. Also, the Secretary of State for Maritime Affairs, Justine Benin, has to go.

Does Prime Minister have to go?

There is also speculation as to whether Macron will be able to hold on to the new Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, who was only appointed in May; The opposition has already demanded that she resign because of the poor results of the government camp. As government spokeswoman Olivia Grégoire told the broadcaster France Inter, this question has not yet been asked and we will see more in the coming hours.

Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen has announced that she does not want to return to the party leadership of the Rassemblement National, she had temporarily vacated the post for her presidential campaign. In the future, as parliamentary group leader, she wants to lead the right-wing national group in parliament, which has grown to eleven times its previous size.

Source: Stern

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