Macron Races Against Time to Appoint New Prime Minister Amid Political Turmoil

Paris, The Gulf Observer: French President Emmanuel Macron is working swiftly to meet a self-imposed 48-hour deadline to appoint a new prime minister, following the ousting of Michel Barnier’s government in a historic no-confidence vote last week. On Tuesday, Macron convened leaders from across the political spectrum in an effort to form a “government of national interest” and avoid a prolonged political crisis.

Notably, leaders of the far-right National Rally (RN) and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), who played a central role in ousting Barnier, were excluded from the discussions.

Under immense pressure, Macron is attempting to forge a broad political alliance that can survive a future no-confidence vote and ensure the passage of next year’s budget, aiming to stabilize the political and economic landscape. Sources close to the president indicated that the announcement of the new prime minister could come as early as Wednesday evening, ahead of Macron’s planned trip to Poland on Thursday.

Macron is seeking to draw the Socialists, Greens, and Communists away from their existing alliance with France Unbowed (LFI), though these parties have demanded that the new prime minister come from their ranks. Among the frontrunners for the role is Francois Bayrou, a centrist ally of Macron and former justice minister, who has been mentioned as a strong candidate despite objections from Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure. Faure expressed opposition to Bayrou, 73, arguing that his appointment would represent “continuity” rather than a new direction, and stressed that the prime minister should be from the left.

Other potential candidates include former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who has reportedly declined an initial offer, and current Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

Macron is also working to secure a political agreement that would prevent further destabilization. At Barnier’s final cabinet meeting, Maud Bregeon, spokesperson for the caretaker government, revealed that Macron had discussed a “non-aggression pact” that would see political parties commit to supporting the new government without undermining it.

In an important development, the left has offered not to invoke the controversial Article 49.3 of the French Constitution, which would allow the government to bypass parliamentary votes on critical legislation, provided that a member of the left is appointed prime minister. In exchange, other parties would agree not to bring down the government.

As the political negotiations continue, President Macron has also praised the outgoing government, acknowledging the gravity of last week’s no-confidence vote, which “would have consequences.” Meanwhile, a special draft budget law for 2024, designed to ensure government operations in the new year, was presented to the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. The National Assembly will debate the bill on Monday, and the Senate will follow on Wednesday, with most parties expected to support it for the sake of stability.

The events of the past week have further complicated Macron’s political landscape. Following a standoff over an austerity budget, a coalition of far-right and hard-left lawmakers succeeded in ousting Barnier’s minority government. In response, Macron dissolved parliament in June after his alliance suffered significant losses in the European elections, calling snap parliamentary elections that resulted in a hung parliament.

While Macron’s consultations on Tuesday were seen as a step forward, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who emerged as a key player following the elections, expressed her contentment at being excluded from the talks. An Ifop-Fiducial poll published on Wednesday suggested that Le Pen would secure between 36 and 38 percent of the vote in the first round of France’s next presidential election, ahead of former prime minister Edouard Philippe and Barnier’s predecessor Gabriel Attal.

Le Pen, currently embroiled in a high-profile embezzlement trial, could be barred from running in the 2027 presidential race if found guilty. However, the poll indicates that she remains a formidable figure on the French political scene.