Before forming his government, the Prime Minister spoke with his predecessor and representatives of LR. The left denounced a government “suspended on the goodwill of the RN”.
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Not everything is settled. The day after Michel Barnier was appointed to succeed Gabriel Attal, the new Prime Minister met with representatives from different political camps to clarify the formation of his future government on Friday, September 6. Here is what to remember from the political day.
Prime Minister Michel Barnier meets Gabriel Attal and LR officials
The new Prime Minister received his predecessor Gabriel Attal at Matignon. “There will be no desire on our part to block, nor unconditional support: only the desire to be useful to our country and faithful to our values will guide us”assured Gabriel Attal in a message to the deputies of his group Together for the Republic. Evoking a “possible participation” Macronists in the future government, he adds that “We are available to continue discussions”.
Michel Barnier then met with LR officials: the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, the leader of the deputies, Laurent Wauquiez, and that of the senators, Bruno Retailleau. Questioned by LR on the possible desire of the Head of State to choose certain ministers, Michel Barnier assured: “It won’t happen like that. (…) I have freedom of maneuver that I want to use”France Télévisions learned from participants.
Michel Barnier wants to “open the debate” for an “improvement” of the pension reform
On TF1, the Prime Minister explained that he wanted an improvement of the controversial pension reform adopted in 2023 – All “while respecting the budgetary framework” and without “question everything”He also recalled the few priorities that he had already mentioned during the transfer of power with Gabriel Attal, namely immigration, work, debt and public services.
Michel Barnier also stated that his government could include “people of [sa] political family, people of good will who belong to the outgoing majority”Or “left-wing people”. Regarding the RN, the Prime Minister assures that he has not “nothing or not much in common with [ses] theses (…) but there are 11 million French people who voted for them and their voice counts”.
LR sets conditions for its support for Michel Barnier
“We helped to unblock the situation”declared Laurent Wauquiez after his meeting with Michel Barnier. “What matters is the program and what we can achieve for the country”he continued, referring to “purchasing power through work and not through welfare”. “Nothing has been decided yet.” on the composition of the government, “Decisions will be made based on the program”he added.
The left denounces a government “suspended on the goodwill of the RN”
“I am very angry, like millions of French voters who feel betrayed by the decision of the President of the Republic”reacted Lucie Castets on RTL. “We have a Prime Minister who is completely dependent on the National Rally”insisted the NFP candidate for Matignon.“The Barnier government is dependent on the goodwill of the National Rally to vote for censure or not”she hammered home.
Anne Hidalgo calls for a PS congress, which she accuses of having “prevented” a Cazeneuve government
The socialist elected official says “in deep anger”. “There is an urgent need to have a congress in the Socialist Party”demanded the PS mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, in an interview with Release. She claims that “The Socialist Party prevented the nomination of Bernard Cazeneuve who, I remind you, comes from our ranks” : “We may not agree on everything with Bernard Cazeneuve, but he is a person of the left, who would have been capable, without the assent of the extreme right, of uniting and potentially proposing a government to resolve a certain number of issues and be useful to the French people.”she assures.
Other NFP officials dispute this interpretation. “If the PS had had the power to appoint or block anyone, it would be Lucie Castets who would be at Matignon”hammers home the first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure, who demands on France Inter“stop with this idea spread by the head of state, that the left has chosen to give up power”.