Michel Barnier’s challenge to integrate left-wing personalities into his government

Although the new Prime Minister has promised openness in his future team, there are few candidates on the left to be part of the next government.

Which left-wing personalities will join Michel Barnier’s future government? The new Prime Minister is increasing his discussions with the various political forces and is even making a promise: “Lsee you next week, on will name government” he said to the media upon his arrival in Reims on Wednesday, September 11. Yes, but with whom?

Michel Barnier has promised openness in his future team. However, poaching from the left is almost “mission impossible” at this stage, while the elected representatives of the New Popular Front parties are returning to parliament promising to do everything possible to censure the future government. The Socialist Party is already refusing to meet Michel Barnier as part of the simple consultations that the Prime Minister is conducting, not before his general policy statement in any case.

“Michel Barnier will only be able to recruit old-fashioned people, second-rate people on the left”tackles a close friend of the First Secretary of the PS, Olivier Faure. An ecologist elected official wonders: “Who will go on board the sinking ship of Macronism?” “They will impose on us people who were vaguely left-wing one day”a communist executive gets angry.

So, who will embody Michel Barnier’s “left leg”? Even within the PS, opponents of Olivier Faure do not want to join a government led by Michel Barnier, who has spent his entire career on the right: it’s no from the mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, or Hélène Geoffroy, mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin.

The former prime ministerial candidates of this summer, for example, such as Bernard Cazeneuve or Karim Bouamrane, have also been rejected. The socialist mayor of Saint-Ouen believes that with Michel Barnier, we have moved on “from compromise to compromise” and promises to fight him.

There is also the series of exes who have not yet been contacted by Michel Barnier’s teams. For example, there is the former Minister of Economy of François Hollande, Arnaud Montebourg? “Stop dreaming”he answers curtly on the phone when asked if he could join Michel Barnier. There is also the former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, regularly looking for a return. Also reached by phone, Manuel Valls assures that he is not closing any doors.

“The future government will therefore be right-wing”believes a Europe Ecology-The Greens MP. The consultations are indeed more fluid on the other side of the spectrum. A right-wing advisor predicts “at least one third of the government from the Republicans”. “It’s the robbery of the centurya figure from the presidential camp gets annoyed. They came to power having won 7% in the European elections and 6% in the legislative elections.”