Emmanuel Macron’s government faces a no-confidence vote next month after the president failed to win an absolute majority in Sunday’s legislative election.
France’s left-wing alliance Nupes said Monday it plans to file a no-confidence vote against the ensemble’s Macron group on July 5th.
Nupes is the second largest group in the lower house of parliament since Sunday’s election, but there are not enough votes on its own to pass a no-confidence vote, and there are few allies in the much-divided parliament.
On Monday, Macron sought support from parliamentary rivals to save part of his reform agenda and avoid political paralysis after voters punished them on Sunday.
While the Ensemble secured the largest number of deputies in the 577-seat National Assembly, it failed to reach an absolute majority in Sunday’s vote, with the left-wing union and the far right performing very well.
In France, there is no scenario for how things should go.
“It will be difficult,” government spokeswoman Olivia Gregoire told France Inter radio. “We will have to be creative.
“My biggest fear is that this country will be blocked,” she added.
Macron himself has not yet commented on the election result.
One key question is whether he will try to reach a coalition agreement with the conservative Les Republicains – which have so far rejected the option – or enter into confusing negotiations with opponents on an account-by-account basis.
French President Emmanuel Macron congratulates his supporters as he leaves after the second round of French parliamentary elections
(Reuters)
“We will try to attract others with us, especially to persuade the few moderates in parliament to follow us,” Gregoire said, adding that Macron was ready to change his government in the coming days.
If no agreement is reached, the eurozone’s second-largest economy faces political paralysis.
Parliament is fragmented, with a broad left-wing alliance and, diametrically opposed, the largest far-right group ever elected.
If Mr Macron does not find enough support to make things work, France could face early elections in the future.
The first important test will be the bill on the cost of living, which Gregoire said the government will present to lawmakers in eight days, when the new parliament meets for the first time.
In the summer, renewable energy proposals will test the stability of Jean-Luc Melenchon’s broad left-wing alliance.
Final figures show that Macron’s centrist camp has 245 seats – well below the 289 needed to control parliament, the left-wing Nupes alliance – 131, the far-right – 89 and Les Republicains – 61.
Add Comment