“He is a prime minister under surveillance.” Jordan Bardella, the president of the National Rally (RN), spoke on Saturday, September 7, after Michel Barnier’s first speeches as a tenant of Matignon. The RN chose to grant him the “benefit of the doubt”. The fact of not having chosen “a priori censorship” does not mean that there will be no “censorship in the coming months”he warned. “Nothing can be done without us”he assured, demanding that Michel Barnier take into account “the subjects of the National Rally”.
Meanwhile, the new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, is continuing his consultations to form his government team. He is due to meet former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in the morning and have lunch with the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet. Follow our live feed.
Some 150 gatherings recorded. The organizers announcedt “150 mobilization points across France”starting in Paris where the meeting is set for 2 p.m. at Place de la Bastille. The number one of the Communist Party Fabien Roussel will also be there, while the leader of the Ecologists Marine Tondelier will parade in Lille.
What mobilization? Before Michel Barnier’s appointment, the authorities were expecting a low turnout, around 15,000 people in total, including 2,000 in the capital. A figure that has since been revised upwards, with now more than 30,000 demonstrators including 4,000 to 8,000 people expected in the capital, according to police sources.
“Anger” from La France Insoumise. “I am really angry and I am furious and I believe that this anger is not just mine, it is that of millions of French people”declared LFI MEP Manon Aubry on France 2 on Saturday. “Our collective resignation would be the best gift we could give to Emmanuel Macron.”
Michel Barnier consults to compose his government after initial appointments. The new Prime Minister said on Friday evening that he was open to the participation of “left-wing people” in his future government. In the meantime, Michel Barnier has decided to appoint as his chief of staff Jérôme Fournel, current chief of staff of Bruno Le Maire, the resigning Minister of the Economy. The latter should tackle “two priorities” : the draft budget for 2025 which must be presented to the National Assembly on October 1, and the negotiation with Brussels, while France is placed in excessive deficit procedure.