Newly appointed in Matignon, Michel Barnier was criticised on Saturday 7 September by the left and the National Rally. On his trip to the Châlons-en-Champagne fair, the president of the National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, demanded that the new Prime Minister “The subjects of the National Rally” be taken into account by his future government, which he described as ” fragile “.
If the RN has so far made it known that it will judge Mr. Barnier “in parts”The tone hardened and the far-right party capitalised on its contingent of 126 deputies (142 with Eric Ciotti’s allies). “We will certainly have a role as referee in the coming months and as of today”the head of the RN recalled.
“I believe that from today Mr Barnier is a prime minister under surveillance. (…) of a political party that is now essential in the parliamentary game”he added. “I am under the surveillance of all French people”Michel Barnier replied on the sidelines of his first trip as head of government to the Necker hospital in Paris.
“Nobody is fooled” on the left, criticises La France Insoumise
Addressing the left, thousands of protesters who marched across France on Saturday, Barnier questioned the words of “coup de force, which does not need to be pronounced”. “We are not in that state of mind: the spirit is to unite around a government action project.” He further pleaded, arguing that the country’s financial situation was ” severe “.
“I call you to a long-term battle”The leader of La France Insoumise (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, particularly addressed the Parisian crowd, who also welcomed the mobilisation on the occasion of the 150 marches claimed in the country on Saturday. The election of Michel Barnier strengthened the demonstrators’ determination. “We see that a pact has been sealed between Macron, the right and the far right”criticized the deputy (LFI, Seine-Saint-Denis) Aurélie Trouvé before the Parisian press, while the crowd protested. “Macron’s resignation”. If Mr Barnier said on Friday that he was ready to work with the left, “Nobody is fooled”added M.me Trouvé, who barely appreciated his tough speech on immigration, judging that he was repeating “What the far right has always said”.
The new Prime Minister also continued his consultations on Saturday in Matignon, where he spoke on Saturday morning with his predecessor Elisabeth Borne, before having lunch at the National Assembly with its president, Yaël Braun-Pivet.
