July 16th 2024.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, but asked him to continue leading a caretaker government until a new one can be appointed. This decision was announced by Macron's office in a statement, which also mentioned that Attal and other members of the government will handle current affairs until a new one is formed. There is no specific deadline for when Macron must name a new prime minister, but with the Paris Olympics just around the corner, the pressure is on to swiftly find a replacement.
Attal had initially offered his resignation last week after the election results caused turmoil within the government. However, Macron requested that he stay on temporarily as the head of the government until a final decision could be made. With the international spotlight on France as it prepares to host the Olympics, it was important to maintain stability and avoid any potential no-confidence vote in parliament.
According to French media, Macron is expected to formally accept Attal's resignation by Tuesday evening. This would allow Attal to take up his seat as a lawmaker in the National Assembly, where he would lead a group of Macron's centrist allies. It would also prevent him from facing any political backlash during the opening session of the National Assembly on Thursday.
As a caretaker government, Attal's focus will solely be on handling day-to-day affairs. There is no set timeline for when a new prime minister must be appointed, but Macron held a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to discuss the matter. The recent election results have left France in a state of political limbo, with no single party winning enough seats to govern on its own. This has led to heated discussions and disagreements among the three main political groups: the New Popular Front, Macron's centrist allies, and the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen.
The New Popular Front, which won the most seats, has been urged by the other two groups to form a new government. However, internal talks have turned into a bitter dispute over who should be chosen as the new prime minister. The leftist coalition's three main parties - France Unbowed, the Socialists, and the Greens - have been at odds with each other, with France Unbowed even suspending talks on Monday. Meanwhile, the Socialists have been accused of sabotaging potential candidates for prime minister proposed by France Unbowed.
Despite the public bickering and occasional angry exchanges among the coalition's party leaders, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure emphasized the need for them to resume discussions and fulfill their promise to govern. He acknowledged that lengthy talks and disagreements are not a good look, but stated that the stakes are too high for them to rush into a decision. National Rally vice president Sebastien Chenu, on the other hand, used this opportunity to criticize both Macron and Attal, accusing them of denying democracy by keeping Attal in power.
The battle for power doesn't end with the presidency and key committees in the National Assembly also up for grabs. Lawmaker Manuel Bompard of France Unbowed expressed his support for blocking lawmakers from Marine Le Pen's National Rally from holding leading positions in the parliament's committees. Despite finishing third in the elections, Bompard believes there is no reason to help them access positions of responsibility. However, Le Pen maintains that all political forces must have a say in the functioning of the parliament, even if it means including her own party, the Macronists, and other political groups.
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