Macron is set to choose a new prime minister after the government lost a no-confidence vote this week.
ADVERTISEMENTAfter a no-confidence vote toppled Michel Barnier’s government, French President Emmanuel Macron received several political parties on Friday in Paris to discuss forming a new government.
The Socialist Party, part of the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP) seems to be open to the idea of working with other parties to attempt to break the current institutional deadlock.
« There’s a choice between making grand speeches and doing nothing, » said Olivier Faure, the Secretary General of the Socialist Party.
« We’re ready to take on our responsibilities, but not at any price or under any conditions. And we’re not going to get sucked into a right-wing government, » he told a group of reporters after the meeting with Macron.
The meeting angered other parties in the left-wing coalition, who fear the Socialists are ready to defect and ally with the centrists and the conservatives to form a majority in parliament.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the firebrand leader of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) hit out at the Socialist party leaders for accepting the meeting without including the other parties in the left-wing coalition.
« LFI (France Unbowed) has not given any mandate to Olivier Faure, to go alone to this meeting, nor to negotiate an agreement and make « concessions » with Macron and the right. Nothing he says or does is in our name or that of the NFP, » tweeted Mélenchon.
Responding to Mélenchon’s post, Faure said: « I’m speaking on behalf of the Socialists, in the interests of our country and to try to break the institutional deadlock. »
He reiterated that the party told Macron they would only accept a left-wing Prime minister and requested the French president meet with the other left-wing parties before making a decision.
On Friday evening, the French president will welcome the right-wing conservative party representatives.
Representatives from the far-right National Rally and hard-left France Unbowed were notably not invited to the Elysée Palace.
French President Macron promised on Thursday to nominate the future prime minister in the coming days.
