(Paris) Gabriel Attal pledged on Friday to “protect the French from any government” including ministers from the National Rally or La France Insoumise, in his profession of faith for the presidency of the Renaissance group in the National Assembly, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.
“With the dissolution and the early legislative elections, we came close to disappearing,” the Prime Minister also acknowledges in this text, on the eve of his probable election at the head of the Renaissance group, which he will propose to rename “Together for the Republic.”
“I want to completely review our methods and our organization, drawing on all the lessons learned since 2017 and even more so since 2022,” also affirms the campaign leader of the presidential camp, in a profession of faith that never mentions Emmanuel Macron.
This opposition to a government including rebellious ministers had already been shared by the group’s deputies, in a press release on Wednesday where they positioned themselves for a “coalition of projects ranging from the social democrats to the government right.”
Mr. Attal assures his colleagues that their group must be “unavoidable” and will have the “vocation” to “contribute to the emergence of majorities of projects and ideas”, after elections which did not offer an absolute majority to any of the three blocs in the hemicycle.
“I will assume my duties as Prime Minister as long as duty requires. I will be able to sit on your benches as soon as the President of the Republic has accepted my resignation and that with my government, we will deal with current affairs,” Gabriel Attal also wrote in a message addressed to his colleagues, consulted by AFP.
Having come out on top, the New Popular Front is claiming Matignon but has not yet managed to agree on a prime minister and a government team. The RN specified on Thursday evening that it would “censor” any government that includes LFI and environmentalist ministers.
The Prime Minister is “officially a candidate” for the presidency of the Renaissance group and will “probably be the only one”, indicated the former president of the group Sylvain Maillard on France 2. “He will be chosen, designated tomorrow”, he added.
The Renaissance group must elect its president on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., by electronic vote.
“The end of applications is at noon, it is very likely that he will be the only candidate,” said the Paris MP, since, “in a choice of unity”, Gérald Darmanin and Élisabeth Borne, whose names had been circulating, will not be running.
For Yvelines MP Aurore Bergé, who held the position before Sylvain Maillard, the Prime Minister’s candidacy is “obviously legitimate”. “He was and still is the leader of the majority,” she said on franceinfo.