Republicans make their participation in government conditional on the new Prime Minister’s program

The new head of government met with Laurent Wauquiez, Bruno Retailleau and Gérard Larcher on Friday morning.

Will they be part of Michel Barnier’s government? The Republicans will decide on their participation in the government according to the program proposed by the new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, on purchasing power, public finances, immigration and security, declared Laurent Wauquiez and Bruno Retailleau on Friday, September 6, at the end of their meeting with the new head of government.

Michel Barnier met with the leaders of the right for nearly two hours, accompanied at the beginning by the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher. He also met on Friday morning with his predecessor, the leader of the Macronist deputies, Gabriel Attal, who stayed for an hour. Consultations “full of energy”, the new Prime Minister told AFP.

“We want to get France out of the deadlock and we said that we would assume our responsibilities. But we will only do so on a program that guarantees to respond to the concerns of the French and nothing else.”Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Republican Right group in the National Assembly, told the press alongside his counterpart in the Senate, Bruno Retailleau.

“Nothing has been decided and it is based on this program that decisions will be taken”he added, listing the “priorities” from the right: “purchasing power through work and not through welfare, security and immigration issues”as well as public services such as education and health. Bruno Retailleau demanded “Order in the accounts” And “in the street”, with “less immigration, more security”.

According to the senator, one of the first questions asked of Michel Barnier concerned his room for maneuver in relation to Emmanuel Macron. “Whether he will be a collaborating Prime Minister, in which case it could be without us, or will he be a full Prime Minister,” because “It is not the Elysée that determines and conducts the nation’s policy”.

After these first consultations, Michel Barnier went to the Elysée at midday with the head of state. He will be the guest of the 8pm news on TF1 on Friday evening.