The new French government takes its first steps on Monday, already criticized and threatened with censure, two and a half months after early legislative elections that produced no majority and delayed the preparation of the 2025 budget.
Prime Minister Michel Barnier, according to his entourage, promised a “republican, progressive and European” government on Monday morning in front of his 39 ministers, who met for the first time for a “government breakfast”.
The former European Commissioner responsible for Brexit asked his ministers, the vast majority of whom come from the right and from President Emmanuel Macron’s liberal movement, to be “modest” and to have “respect” for “all political parties”, while his team is already experiencing tensions.
The Macronists were concerned about the presence of conservative ministers in the government and asked for assurances on societal laws such as abortion or “marriage for all” (heterosexual and homosexual).
The “government breakfast” lasted more than two hours at Matignon, the Prime Minister’s residence.
The members of the government then went to their respective ministries for the traditional handover ceremonies.
They are due to meet at the Elysée presidential palace for a first Council of Ministers at 3 p.m. (1 p.m. GMT) with the head of state.
Former European Commissioner in charge of Brexit, Mr Barnier, appointed on September 5 by Mr Macron, called on his government on television on Sunday evening to work in the “greatest cohesion” and “greatest fraternity”, in the face of initial tensions within his team.
To reassure
While the preparation of the 2025 budget, which has already been delayed by an unprecedented amount, is the number one priority, Michel Barnier has promised not to “further increase taxes on all French people”.
But “the richest must take part in the solidarity effort,” he warned, without directly commenting on a reestablishment of the ISF (solidarity tax on wealth), demanded by the left.
“A large part of our debt is issued on international, external markets, we must maintain France’s credibility,” he added. The country is, like several other EU members, the subject of an excessive deficit procedure by Brussels.
Mr Barnier also pledged to “take the time to improve” the highly contested pension reform, without providing details.
Insufficient guarantees
Insufficient guarantees for the left, which has already promised to censure the new executive.
The left-wing coalition of the New Popular Front (NFP), which came out on top in the legislative elections of 30 June and 7 July, but did not obtain a majority, has already planned to draft a motion of censure. The text will be tabled by the socialists (who are part of the NFP) after Mr Barnier’s general policy speech on 1er October, according to Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure.
The leader of the radical left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, called for “getting rid of this “government of losers” as soon as possible, which he said had “neither legitimacy nor future”.
The new executive, the composition of which was revealed on Saturday, gives pride of place to President Macron’s party, Renaissance, and a good place to the right-wing Les Républicains (LR), from which Mr Barnier comes.
Two parties, however, came out in sharp decline in the legislative elections caused by the controversial dissolution of the National Assembly by Mr. Macron.
The fact remains that to succeed, a motion of censure must receive the votes of the National Rally (RN), the far-right party of Marine Le Pen, which for the moment is unlikely, according to Mr Faure himself.
RN vice-president Sébastien Chenu confirmed on Monday that his party would not censure “before having seen the budget”.
“We will weigh on this government” and “we will take our responsibilities”, if necessary, added the deputy whose group came third in the legislative elections behind the centrist bloc, after significant progress.