Macron rejects left’s PM candidate, keeping governance talks stalled

PARIS — France remains stuck in political limbo after President Emmanuel Macron on Monday refused to accept the election-winning left’s candidate for prime minister.
Macron — who, as head of state, is responsible for appointing a new prime minister and government — met with party heads and parliamentary leaders across the political spectrum Monday. He then issued a statement indicating he wouldn’t name a head of government from the left-wing New Popular Front coalition that won June’s legislative election, arguing that this would lead to instability.
“The President of the Republic noted that a government based solely on the platform and parties put forward by the alliance with the most lawmakers, the New Popular Front, would immediately be toppled with a vote of no confidence by all the other groups represented in the National Assembly,” the statement read.
The snap legislative election was called by the Macron after his centrist party was trounced in June’s European Union election by the far-right National Rally. While the far right party was tipped sweep the board, the hastily assembled New Popular Front electoral coalition, composed of the main left-wing forces in France, secured a surprise victory.
Macron’s alliance came third in that election, and his government resigned on July 16, but it has yet to be replaced with a new cabinet and has since acted as a caretaker facility.
The left-wing coalition holds 193 seats in the French lower house, significantly short of the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority which would guarantee its capacity to govern with risking a vote of no confidence. But the coalition’s leaders have pointed to the absence of an alternative alliance which would hold more seats, and want Macron to appoint its candidate for prime minister, Lucie Castets, as head of government.
“Gross and Inconsequential. The President has decided not to respect the results of an election that he himself called for,” Cyrielle Chatelain, the Green leader in the National Assembly, wrote on X. “We won’t give up. Lucie Castets it the legitimate candidate.”
The French presidency stated that the pro-Macron forces, which came out most weakened from the snap elections, as well as other independent lawmakers had “outlined possible avenues for a coalition,” and pressed on the Communists, Greens and Socialists, currently members of the New Popular Front, to abandon their alliance in favor of a broad coalition.
“A new round of consultations with the leaders of parties and individuals with experience in serving the State and the Republic will resume,” it added. The left-wing coalition’s leaders had indicated earlier in the day that it would not take part in further talks unless Macron appointed Castets prime minister.