Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, chooses her favorite stories for a free weekly newsletter called the Editor’s Digest. French President Emmanuel Macron met with political leaders from various parties, including the left, right, and center at the Élysée Palace. Macron is looking to appoint a prime minister after snap legislative elections left the parliament in a deadlock.
Even though the leftwing Nouveau Front Populaire alliance, led by Lucie Castets, is the largest bloc in the July snap election, they do not have enough support to govern. Macron and his allies believe that the NFP needs to form a coalition to achieve a governing majority.
Green party leader Marine Tondelier asked Macron to announce the name of the prime minister by Tuesday. Some potential candidates include Bernard Cazeneuve, Xavier Bertrand, and Karim Bouamrane. The pressure to form a new government is increasing as the summer break ends and budget deadlines approach.
Coalition politics are not common in France’s Fifth Republic, but there is a need for political leaders to come to an agreement. Macron wants to bring together the “republican forces” excluding far-right and far-left parties to establish a stable majority.
The President has the authority to name a prime minister, but finding someone who can gain enough support to govern is a challenge for Macron. Leaders on the right are hesitant about forming a coalition with the left, despite the NFP’s attempts to hold the alliance together.
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