Thousands of demonstrators, called by left-wing parties, unions and organizations, took to the streets of France this Saturday to protest against the President Emmanuel Macron’s appointment of conservative Michel Barnier as prime minister.
The leader of La France Insoumise (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, was one of the political leaders present at the Parisian parade, which began at Place de la Bastille, where he indicated that it would be “a battle and a fight that will last a long time. Mélenchon confirmed the presentation of a motion of censure against Barnier, which they have committed to vote for all left partiesfrom the start of parliamentary sessions, which may not happen before October.
Nearly 150 demonstrations were organized this Saturday throughout France, as part of a tough opposition action to which will be added: motion of censure and also a parliamentary procedure for the impeachment of Macron promoted by LFI, but not by other left-wing parties.
Macron opted for a candidate who obtained 6%
The New Popular Front (NFP), formed by left-wing parties, to run in the legislative elections called in advance by Macron for June 30 and July 7. obtained 193 deputies out of a total of 577 and demanded that the president be allowed to form a government because they were the largest group in the National Assembly.
Instead, Macron opted for Barnier, a member of the Republicans (LR), the traditional right-wing party, who ended up with 6% of the votes and 47 seats, but which benefits from the implicit support of the outgoing presidential majority (166 deputies).
The reason given by the Elysée is that he was the only one not to run the risk of being quickly overthrown by a motion of censure, since Marine Le Pen’s Far Rightwhich was by far the most voted bloc (37%, against 28% for the left), even though it only had 142 seats left, declared that will not vote for a motion of censure against him, at least for now.
The far right congratulates itself
Jordan Bardella, president of Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), insisted this Saturday that his “France’s first match” in votes and deputies, meaning that “nothing can be done against them without their approval or censure.” Bardella, who visited the city of Châlons in Champagne, also warned that Barnier would be judged “for his actions” and He congratulated himself “on having prevented the extreme left from taking power”.
In response to these comments, the first secretary of the Socialist Party (PS), who did not join the street protests against Barnier led by LFI, accused Macron in his X account of having “under guardianship” of the far right by appointing this prime minister. “Macron and his friends could have chosen not to censor the NFP, let it govern by accepting compromises since we do not have an absolute majority,” Faure reasoned.
The socialist leader faces criticism from within his own party by some barons who complain about the NFP’s tough stance towards macronism to seek a compromise governmentor, and the result was a right-wing prime minister.
In this vein, the mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, declared this Saturday on France Info that “by dint of wanting a pure leftWe have a harder right.” Other socialist leaders have also held a similar discourse in recent days, such as the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, or the president of the Occitanie region, Carole Delga.
