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Macron Delays New Government Appointment Until After Paris Olympics

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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will postpone naming a new government until after the Paris Olympics conclude on August 11. This decision follows a proposal from the New Popular Front (NFP), a left-wing coalition that emerged as the largest group in France’s parliament after recent elections. The NFP has put forward Lucie Castets, a relatively unknown civil servant, as their candidate for prime minister.

Macron stated that appointing a new prime minister before mid-August would “create disorder” amid the ongoing Olympics, which start with an opening ceremony in central Paris on Friday. The left-wing coalition has criticized Macron’s delay, accusing him of undermining the outcome of the recent legislative elections.

Macron had previously accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal due to significant losses for their centrist party in the elections. Attal and his team are continuing in a caretaker role until a new government is formed.

In France, the president is expected to appoint a prime minister who can secure a majority in the National Assembly. Currently, no single party holds a majority, but the NFP, with at least 182 of 577 seats, is in a strong position. The NFP’s choice, Lucie Castets, a 37-year-old economist with a background in finance and public services rather than politics, was presented just before Macron’s scheduled television interview.

Macron emphasized that the key issue is not the specific nominee but the formation of a majority in the Assembly. He plans to appoint a prime minister with the widest possible support. The delay has provoked a strong reaction from NFP members, who accuse Macron of attempting to disregard the results of the elections and deny the will of the people.

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Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Accused of Witness Tampering in Election Funding Scandal

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France’s former first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, has been charged in connection with a 2007 election funding scandal involving cash from then Libyan dictator, Col Muammar Gaddafi. French media reports that Bruni-Sarkozy, 56, faces charges of hiding evidence and associating with wrongdoers to commit fraud. She has been placed under judicial control and is prohibited from contacting other accused individuals except her husband, Nicolas Sarkozy. Additionally, she is suspected of concealing witness tampering and attempting to bribe Lebanese judicial personnel, among other violations.

Bruni-Sarkozy’s lawyers told AFP that she is determined to challenge what they describe as an “unfounded decision.”

Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president from 2007 to 2012, is scheduled to go on trial next year over allegations that he received money from Gaddafi to fund his successful election campaign. He faces charges of corruption, illegal campaign financing, benefiting from embezzled public funds, and membership in a criminal conspiracy, all of which he denies.

The investigation began in 2013, two years after Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, accused Sarkozy of accepting millions of euros from his father for campaign funding. In 2014, Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine supported these claims, stating he had proof of Tripoli’s financial support for Sarkozy’s campaign, amounting to €50 million (£43 million). Takieddine claimed that he personally delivered suitcases filled with cash to Sarkozy and his chief of staff, Claude Guéant. Although Takieddine retracted this statement in 2020, raising suspicions of bribery, Guéant denied the allegations.

In June, Bruni-Sarkozy was found to have deleted messages exchanged with a French businesswoman questioned by police over witness tampering accusations. Since his defeat in the 2012 presidential election, Sarkozy has faced multiple criminal investigations. In 2023, he received a suspended prison sentence for attempting to bribe a judge, and earlier this year, he was found guilty of illegally funding his 2012 re-election campaign.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, an Italian-born former supermodel and singer, married Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, and they have a daughter, Giulia, born in 2011.

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French Left Triumphs as Far Right Faces Unexpected Defeat

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France’s far-right National Rally was widely expected to win the snap election, but they ended up in third place. The left-wing alliance, New Popular Front, secured the most seats after a highly charged and short election called just four weeks ago by a weakened President Emmanuel Macron.

The National Rally (RN) had won the first round, and opinion polls predicted their victory in the run-off round. Instead, France faces a hung parliament with no party holding a majority. RN leader Jordan Bardella attributed their failure to “unnatural political alliances.”

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, appointed by Macron seven months ago, announced he would resign, though his Ensemble alliance was projected to win three times the forecasted number of seats. This was partly due to 217 candidates, mostly from the left alliance and Macron’s camp, withdrawing to help their rivals defeat RN. This strategy allowed center and left voters to pivot to other parties to prevent the far right from gaining control.

Mr. Bardella criticized the alliances for depriving voters of solutions to France’s cost of living crisis and accused the Macron alliance of facilitating a left-wing victory, which left France in a “quagmire.”

The left-wing alliance, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed, now leads the parliament. Mélenchon’s party, seen as far left by rivals, is projected to have up to 94 seats. He declared the president and prime minister should accept defeat, prompting Attal to announce his resignation.

Attal, a popular politician, praised the candidates who withdrew to stop RN and acknowledged the need for stability during the upcoming Paris Olympics. He expressed willingness to remain as long as necessary but faced opposition from the New Popular Front, which is now ready to govern.

The alliance, hastily formed after Macron called for the two-round vote, includes Greens, Communists, and Socialists. Leaders from these groups, like Marine Tondelier of the Greens and Olivier Faure of the Socialists, emphasized their readiness to govern and the rejection of the far right. Former Macron Prime Minister Edouard Philippe highlighted the election’s uncertainty and called for centrist forces to restore stability.

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French Prime Minister’s Last-Ditch Effort to Prevent Far-Right Triumph

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France’s fast-paced election campaign has concluded, and despite last-minute pleas against supporting the far-right, voters seem poised to deliver a historic win for the National Rally (RN) party in parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has cautioned that this could lead to increased hate and aggression. Nonetheless, the party led by Marine Le Pen and the 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, who could potentially become the next prime minister, is leading in the opinion polls.

The National Rally has managed to maintain its position despite numerous accusations of racism involving both party members and supporters. The critical question now is whether they can secure an absolute majority in the two rounds of voting over the next two Sundays.

RN is preparing for a significant outcome, with polls showing 36.5% support just before the campaign ended. Their candidates aim to win many seats in the National Assembly outright, but most will be decided in run-off votes on July 7, involving two to four contenders.

A newly formed left-wing alliance, the New Popular Front, is close behind RN with 29% support, while the Ensemble alliance, led by Gabriel Attal, is at 20.5%. Attal describes both RN and the New Popular Front as extreme.

No region of mainland France supported RN more than L’Aisne in the European vote, with over 50% backing. This area already has RN MPs and a National Rally mayor, Franck Briffaut, who sees victory as inevitable, likening it to Giorgia Meloni’s win in Italy.

Briffaut and others in his party aim for an absolute majority in the National Assembly, needing at least 289 of the 577 seats. However, President Macron, who will appoint the next prime minister, has indicated he will remain in office until his term ends in 2027.

Jordan Bardella is pushing for an absolute majority and has hinted at a “government of national unity.” He has suggested including former conservative leader Eric Ciotti, despite his alienation from most colleagues. This raises questions about potential power-sharing with President Macron, which could lead to a difficult political landscape.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has warned of possible unrest from both the ultra-left and ultra-right following the elections. In the northern town of Soissons, which has an RN MP, locals remain skeptical of RN’s impact, despite the party’s rebranding efforts.

RN’s platform includes “National priority,” which limits social welfare to French citizens, alongside tax cuts and restrictions on strategic jobs for dual nationals. This has raised concerns among some, especially in diverse communities.

The outcome of this election could significantly impact French politics, with the possibility of RN gaining substantial influence in the National Assembly.

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Emmanuel Macron’s government in crisis after migration bill defeat

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The French government, led by President Emmanuel Macron, is facing a crisis as opposition parties, spanning the political spectrum from far-right to far-left and moderate factions, joined forces to defeat a crucial immigration bill. The rejection occurred on Monday, with critics arguing that the proposed law was either too repressive (according to the left) or not stringent enough (according to the right).

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, known for his tough stance on immigration, offered to resign following the defeat, but President Macron declined his resignation. The government had asserted that the bill aimed to control immigration while enhancing the integration of migrants. The proposed legislation sought to streamline the deportation process for migrants sentenced to prison terms of five years or longer and impose stricter conditions on family reunification in France.

Despite Interior Minister Darmanin’s efforts to garner support for the bill, opposition MPs from various factions, including the National Rally (far-right), France Unbowed (far-left), Republicans (right-wing), and smaller parties, voted against it, leading to a 270-265 defeat for the government.

Before the vote, MP Arthur Delaporte of the Socialist party denounced the bill as “unjust, scandalous, and a threat to freedom.” President Macron’s centrist Renaissance party had lost its parliamentary majority in the June 2022 elections, making it challenging for the government to secure votes in parliament.

In response to the defeat, the government announced its intention to redraft the bill. Notably, the option used by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne to pass laws without a vote cannot be employed to advance this revised version.

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Leaked video spoils Macron’s best man’s political career

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A leaked video has spoiled the political career of Benjamin Griveaux, who is considered as a close ally of French President Emanuel Macron.

He was the candidate of Macron’s party for the Paris mayor election. He was one of the top three hopefuls.

Mr. Griveaux has expressed his sadness about the leakage of the video.

Interestingly, highlighting the importance of the separation of politics from personal life, many French politicians have supported the tainted politician. They have unanimously appealed against the Americanisation of the French politics.

The French politics is different from the American one. It favours the separation of politics from personal life, unlike the United States.

Anyway, the development is a major blow to Mr. Macron. The French President’s party has suffered several backlashes recently, from the reduction of its strength in the parliament to the losses it has faced in the recent elections.

Though these blows are not strong enough to disturb the continuation of Mr. Macron as the President of the country immediately, it may impact his position in the long run.

Meanwhile, there is a different side also. The ruling party, if work rightly, can utilise the emotion, generated against the Americanisation of the French politics, in its favour to gain a political mileage from the development.


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