Party by party, what are the main conditions set for not censoring a future government?

Emmanuel Macron has still not named a prime minister, nearly two months after the second round of the legislative elections. It is difficult to find a candidate who would not be quickly overthrown by the main political forces represented in the National Assembly.

The classified ad could be called “President of the Republic seeks Prime Minister”Ideal candidate: a woman or man who will not be censored after two days, who is compatible with the head of state while at the same time giving “a scent of cohabitation”as Prisca Thevenot, spokesperson for the resigning government, told franceinfo. The profile is rare, and this partly explains why Emmanuel Macron has still not named a replacement for Gabriel Attal, nearly two months after the second round of the legislative elections.

Emmanuel Macron, the sole person responsible for the dissolution, has chosen to put himself at the heart of the negotiations. The head of state’s quest for a solution for Matignon is all the more complex as the different parties are multiplying the red lines and the different conditions for being able to participate (or not) in a government coalition.

Everyone is clinging to their program and few political forces seem ready to find compromises. The hemicycle of the Assembly appears more than ever divided into three irreconcilable blocs. Franceinfo takes a look at the demands of each camp.

NFP clings to Lucie Castets option

France Unbowed (LFI) refused on Tuesday to meet again with the President of the Republic. The position of the rebels has not changed for several days: they continue to affirm that they will censure any Prime Minister other than Lucie Castets, candidate of the NFP (New Popular Front). LFI does not seem ready to make any concessions. If Emmanuel Macron “could name himself and cohabit with himself, he would have done so”mocked the leader of the LFI deputies, Mathilde Panot.

The Ecologists for their part, spoke with Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. At the end of this meeting, Marine Tondelier, national secretary of the movement, expressed her concern: “He wants to rely on the right under the benevolent eye of the National Rally.” The Greens have also repeatedly said that they would censure any head of government other than Lucie Castets. “Bernard Cazeneuve, I have not heard him support the New Popular Front, he is not a Prime Minister of the New Popular Front”explained the party leader on France 2.

The Communist Party is more flexible on casting, but not on the main part of the program. “We said that we are for compromises, for dialogue. We have written to all the Republican groups”assured on RTL the national secretary of the PCF, Fabien Roussel, who also spoke with the Elysée on Tuesday. “Whatever the name [du Premier ministre], We want a repeal or moratorium on pension reform, wage increases and an increased budget to invest in public services.”

The Socialist Partywhose support would be essential to a coalition, has closed the door to Xavier Bertrand and has not opened it entirely to Bernard Cazeneuve. The party’s national office rejected on Tuesday evening a proposal of non-censorship of a government led by the former Prime Minister of François Hollande. “We continue to demand that the President of the Republic respect the ballot boxes and appoint Lucie Castets as Prime Minister”details the PS press release. This would be “a form of anomaly” to choose Bernard Cazeneuve, “the only man of the left who fought against the Popular Front”added Olivier Faure on TF1. The first secretary of the PS called for a “negotiation between political parties (…) which allows a government programme to be established in substance”The PS is therefore asking the future Prime Minister to commit to ten points, including one “significant revaluation of the minimum wage”, or the repeal of the pension reform and the immigration law.

The presidential camp rejects the NFP

RenaissanceEmmanuel Macron’s party, has announced the censure of any government from the New Popular Front, even if LFI ministers do not participate. Gabriel Attal, the resigning Prime Minister and leader of the Ensemble pour la République deputies, denounces the NFP project which “would bring France to its knees”For the rest, the presidential camp is open to a moderate left or right-wing prime minister who would not come from its ranks.

The MoDem shares the Renaissance line. For François Bayrou, opposition to an NFP government is justified “mainly because of the program”who is “dangerous for the country”he explained on LCI. “We don’t have time to consult, to find agreements, since the NFP says: ‘our whole program, nothing but our program'”believes the head of the MoDem. The latter also pleads for the appointment of a political profile at Matignon and not for a technical government.

Horizons is no exception in the majority. The party of Edouard Philippe, who has just declared himself a candidate for the presidential election, rejects the NFP program “which, if implemented, would cause a crisis”estimates in an interview with Figaro the head of the Horizons deputies, Laurent Marcangeli. Therefore, “We will oppose it with all the instruments that the Constitution offers us”which could “go through a vote of censure”he warns.

On the right, LR accepts Xavier Bertrand’s idea

The Republicans have announced their intention to vote for several weeks “immediately a motion of censure” against a government including rebels, according to a statement made by Laurent Wauquiez, leader of the LR deputies, after meeting Emmanuel Macron.

The LR leaders also initially stated that they refused to participate in a government. But the leaders of the Republican right have finally opened the door to the possibility of an executive led by Xavier Bertrand with two LR members participating. The Republicans, however, are setting two conditions: that Emmanuel Macron ensures the viability of such a government and that Xavier Bertrand has the necessary latitude to implement the legislative pact proposed by Laurent Wauquiez.

The RN advocates for a technical government

The National Rally makes no secret of it: he will be easily censored. The RN “will censor any government where LFI and environmentalists are involved” would be ministers, Marine Le Pen quickly warned. The far-right party, like its ally A Droite (Eric Ciotti’s group), also plans to censure any government led by Xavier Bertrand or Bernard Cazeneuve. The head of state “is mistaken in receiving people who have failed”says RN vice-president Sébastien Chenu on franceinfo.

The RN, on the other hand, says it is in favour of a technical government which would deal with current affairs, but which would be responsible for implementing proportional representation in legislative elections.