Appointment of a Prime Minister: Emanuel Macron has begun his consultations and recognizes a desire for change

Le trio Genevard-Retailleau-Wauquiez à son arrivée à l’Elysée. EPA – CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

The New Popular Front, the Central Bloc, and the Republican Right were received this Friday, August 23. Monday, it was the turn of the National Rally, among others..

Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged the desire for change expressed during the legislative elections, estimated the members of the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP), received Friday at the Élysée as part of consultations prior to the appointment of a new Prime Minister.

Few comments, however, from the presidential camp whose leaders arrived in a scattered order at midday, before giving way to elected officials from the Republican Right.

Majority "large" and “stable”

The Head of State launched this series of hearings of the political forces in order to find, according to the terms of the Élysée, a hypothetical “the broadest and most stable majority possible”.

“We are satisfied that the President of the Republic has recognised that a message was sent by the French people during the last elections, and that This message is the wish for a change of direction politics", declared Lucie Castets, candidate designated by the NFP for Matignon.

& “Referee” or “selector” ?

After nearly an hour and a half of discussions, the first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, indicated that the name of the new Prime Minister would be announced without delay. The national secretary of the Ecologists, Marine Tondelier, expressed the hope that this would be done on Tuesday, the day after the end of the consultations at the Élysée and on the eve of the opening of the Paris Paralympic Games.

Emmanuel Macron “reminded us that he had to be the referee in his constitutional role, but we have the impression that he tended to want to be the selector”, considered for his part the national coordinator of La France insoumise, Manuel Bompard.

“A good meeting"

The members of the central bloc represented the presidential camp, which included the former Prime Minister and founder of Horizons Edouard Philippe, or the resigning Prime Minister who became president of the Ensemble pour la République group at the Palais-Bourbon Gabriel Attal. “It was a good meeting”, said Édouard Philippe.

In a message sent to the deputies of his group, Gabriel Attal said he defended the idea of ​​appointing a Prime Minister “not coming from the parties of the central bloc with a government representing a broad spectrum of sensibilities, from the Republican left to the right”. According to him, his group (like the others in the central bloc) would adopt "an immediate motion of censure in the case of a government including ministers from LFI".

Wauquiez also says no to LFI ministers

Shortly after, MPs Annick Genevard and Laurent Wauquiez and senator Bruno Retailleau arrived in turn. Upon leaving, they reiterated their refusal of a government coalition while wanting to be constructive. “We do not intend to be systematic opponents, because the country needs to continue to move forward and if there are laws that are positive, obviously we will be able to support them”, confided Laurent Wauquiez.

They also reiterated their opposition to the presence of ministers from France Insoumise in the future government, which would trigger a motion of censure on their part. “They are dangerous for the Republic”, tackled Laurent Wauquiez.

Yaël Braun-Pivet and Gérard Larcher expected this Monday

The consultations were then to continue with representatives of the Libertés, indépendants, outremers et territoires group, then of the Radicals and the Left. On Monday, it will be the turn of the leaders of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen, and their ally Éric Ciotti, to be consulted by Emmanuel Macron. He will also see the presidents of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, and of the Senate, Gérard Larcher.

New discussions… Tuesday ?

And the rumor of a continuation of these discussions on Tuesday was also circulating this Friday.

Because if names have circulated to replace Gabriel Attal at Matignon: Bernard Cazeneuve, Xavier Bertrand, or the mayor of Saint-Ouen Karim Bouamrane, no equation seems for the moment to be right regarding the potential alliances at the Palais-Bourbon. While waiting for the appointment of the new tenant of Matignon, the resigning ministers of the Attal government are managing current affairs and preparing the 2025 budget to be debated at the start of the school year.

Laurent Wauquiez, who has become a member of parliament again, has resigned from the presidency of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in application of the law on the non-accumulation of mandates. However, he remains a regional councilor.