President Emmanuel Macron kicked off negotiations with party leaders on Friday in a bid to resolve France’s political deadlock, which has persisted for more than six weeks since snap legislative elections left the country with a hung parliament.
The situation has left France in political limbo for 47 days, following the elections on 7 July, which failed to give any party a working majority.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who resigned after the defeat of Macron’s Renaissance party, has continued to lead a caretaker government at Macron’s request to see through the Paris Olympics.
With the Games ending on 11 August, the so-called “Olympic truce” is over, and Macron now faces pressure to appoint a new prime minister capable of forming a stable government.
“Article 8 of the French Constitution states that the president names the prime minister, but it doesn't fix a time frame,” said Arnaud Le Pillouer, a public law specialist at Paris Nanterre University.
Although theoretically France could remain without a premier for one or two years, Le Pillouer told RFI the constitution must be interpreted in light of democratic principles.
“He could name Brigitte Macron as PM, but would that be acceptable in terms of democracy? I doubt it.”
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Building a stable majority
The leftist New Popular Front (NFP) coalition, which united the Socialist, Communist, Green, and hard-left France Unbowed parties for the election, emerged as the largest faction, winning 193 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly.
The NFP is pushing for economist Lucie Castets to be appointed as the new prime minister.
Macron will meet with NFP leaders, including Castets, on Friday morning, followed by representatives from his own centrist Ensemble (Together) camp and the conservative Republicans.
Meetings with the far-right National Rally and its affiliates are scheduled for Monday.
Macron’s goal, as stated in July, is to build “the largest and most stable majority” before appointing a new premier.
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Macron has ruled out including figures from France Unbowed or the National Rally in the government, preferring an alliance with the traditional right and parts of the centre-left.
Names circulating as potential prime ministers include former PM Edouard Philippe, Xavier Bertrand (head of the northern Hauts de France region), and Socialist former foreign minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
“The President is on the side of the French people, the guarantor of institutions and above all the expression of their vote on 7 July,” said the Elysée Palace on Thursday.
However, the NFP insists that the election results clearly went in their favour, with the France Unbowed faction even threatening to launch impeachment proceedings against Macron.
Meanwhile the presidential camp, the right and the National Rally have threatened a no-confidence motion if an NFP-led government included members from the hard left.
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Presidential discord
Friday’s talks follow apparent cracks within Macron’s centrist Renaissance party. Former PM Elisabeth Borne has announced her candidacy for the leadership of Renaissance, positioning herself as a unifying force.
Borne told Le Parisien on Wednesday that the party "was not meant to be a presidential stable” and stressed the need to focus on "in-depth reflection and mobilising its members”.
She added: "We need to give French people hope again, to develop a vision and a plan for the country."
Her candidacy could tread on the toes of Gabriel Attal, who is head of the Renaissance group within the National Assembly and is looking to redefine his role after stepping down as prime minister.
Asked about Attal’s ambitions, Borne said: “Traditionally, it’s not customary to be group chairman at the same time as leading the party.”
