Macron rules out naming a left-wing coalition PM, opens new round of consultations

Talks to elect the next French prime minister have ended with the refusal of Emmanuel Macronthe French president, to appoint a prime minister from the New Popular Front, the left-wing coalition. The Macronists reject this possibility even if it does not include ministers from La France Insoumise, since, despite being the force that won the most deputies, they consider that it would not survive motions of censure from other groups.

Macron has thus opened a new round of consultations with the groups.

For its part, The French left insists on the candidacy of Lucie Castets as prime minister to implement the results of the legislative elections. The New Popular Front (NFP) has also announced that it will not return to the Elysée for further talks with President Emmanuel Macron unless it is to discuss “the modalities of cohabitation”, which would imply that the next prime minister will not be close to the head of state.

Macronism has declared that will reject a government of the coalition of the New Popular Front even though it does not contain ministers from La France Insoumise (LFI), as proposed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, which had been the red line until now.

For the acting Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, the proposal for a government without leaders from La France Insoumise is a “simulation of opening” that hides a “coup de force” by Mélenchon. This is because, once in government, the NFP would implement its electoral programme, which is in reality a “faithful replica” of the LFI project and which, according to him, “would bring France to its knees”.

Attal has called for an alliance between left-wing and right-wing “republican” parties, which would exclude the far right but also La France Insoumise.

For now, the question of when a new prime minister will be appointed remains unclear. Macron has not set a specific time frame for the move, although all parties anticipate moves this week.