General
Macron receives political leaders with view of forming ‘government of general interest’
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that he would name a new prime minister within days following the resignation of ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
French President Emmanuel Macron is receiving a number of political leaders on Friday morning with a view of forming “a government of general interest” after the country’s Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted by a no-confidence vote.
The French leader is due to meet with representatives from centrist political parties such as Renaissance, Horizons and the Democratic Movement early Friday morning.
Later in the day, he is expected to meet representatives from the Socialist party, including First Secretary Olivier Faure, followed by figures from Les Républicains.
As the country anxiously waits to hear the identity of its new Prime Minister, Macron said he would name Barnier’s replacement “in the next few days.”
“I will ask them to form a government for the general interest,” Macron said in a public address on Thursday, “Representing every political force within the spectrum of parties destined to govern and that they could join or, at least, agree not to bring it down.”
However, the announcement is not expected before this weekend, or even by Monday, and more time will be required before the composition of the new candidate’s team can be revealed.
Macron laid the blame of the government’s disintegration at the door of his opponents on the far right, saying they chose “Not to do, but to undo – to wreak havoc.”
In a television interview, far-right leader Marine Le Pen expressed doubt on a new government’s survival chances.
“The risk is that if the President of the Republic carries out a new dissolution (of the parliament) from July – or in September or October of next year, we will find ourselves more or less in the same situation.”
Leader of the left-wing alliance in France’s parliament Jean-Luc Mélenchon blasted Macron in an interview of his own – who he said failed to acknowledge a “vote for change” in following his dissolution of the French parliament in June.
“France is a very special country. It only changes when it has to,” he said, “There was a group that came out on top (of the legislative elections) by a wide margin: the New Popular Front.”
France’s government collapsed after Prime Minister Barnier on Monday invoked a rarely used constitutional mechanism to push through the contentious 2025 budget without parliamentary approval, arguing it was essential to maintain “stability” amid deep political divisions.
Yet Barnier’s proposed austerity budget — slashing €40 billion in spending and raising taxes by €20 billion — only deepened divisions, inflaming tensions in the lower house and triggering a dramatic political confrontation.
The move immediately drew a sharp backlash, with both the left and right wing of France’s National Assembly uniting in favour of Wednesday’s no-confidence vote. A total of 331 MPs supported the motion out of 577 total lawmakers. A minimum of 288 votes were needed.
Barnier and other ministers will remain in power to act as a caretaker government until the appointment of new ministers, a statement from the Elysee presidential palace said.
