The French president, whose center-right coalition lost 44 seats to control the National Assembly, is said to be exploring his “room for maneuver” after losing control of the lower house in Sunday’s parliamentary elections. Macron has reportedly rejected a proposal by Elizabeth Bourne, the prime minister-designate a month ago, to step down, believing his government must stay on track. However, he will need to gather support from MPs who are not natural supporters to get out of the impasse that threatens to paralyze parliament. Radical leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon called on Borne to cast a vote of confidence. “This woman has no legitimacy. No one. “We are wasting our time until he leaves,” Melanson told reporters. “Madam Prime Minister, you should come here and ask for a vote of confidence from the deputies,” he later said. However, after meeting with Borne on Tuesday, lawmakers from Macron’s party defended her. Gabriel Atal, a former government spokesman and now Minister of Public Accounts, said: “I find it very strange to hear a man who has not been elected by the French, who wanted to be prime minister but could not take legitimacy lessons. to a female prime minister elected by the French. “ Bourne will meet with political group leaders at the National Assembly on Wednesday and is expected to outline the government’s legislative timetable in the lower house on July 5. Macron canceled the usual Council of Ministers on Tuesday morning to hold regular meetings with leaders of the main opposition parties and other potential parliamentary allies. The meetings are expected to continue on Wednesday. Elysée said the president would look for “possible constructive solutions” to the impasse. The first to arrive on Tuesday morning was Christian Jacob, chairman of the mainstream right-wing party Les Républicains (LR), which came fourth in the general election in terms of the number of seats it won, behind the left-wing Mélenchon Nupes alliance (the New Popular, Economic and Social Alliance) and the far-right Rassemblement Nationale (RN). Earlier, Jacob told French radio that the parliamentary stalemate was unprecedented. “We have never been in such a situation. The president of the republic is responsible for this. He had a five-year term for nothing. “Of course there was the Covid crisis, but nothing has been done,” said Jacob. Critics accuse Macron of deliberately weakening the traditional French parties of the left and right since the centrist La République En Marche, now renamed the Renaissance, came to power in 2017, allowing the far-right and radical left to flourish. Jacob accused Macron of “using his limbs” for his own purposes. “It brought the country to this state,” he said. Winnings from Noupes and RN allowed Macron’s team to win just 245 seats in Sunday’s second round, well below the 289 required for an absolute majority. Nupes won 131 seats, while RN won 89 seats, an unprecedented increase in popularity. The traditional right-wing Les Républicains (LR), which had joined forces with the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI), won just 61 seats. On Monday, Jacob had ruled out any coalition with the government or the president. The second meeting at the Elysée on Tuesday was with Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party (PS), one of the four parties – along with the Communists (PC) and the Greens (EELV) – in Mélenchon’s alliance. On Monday, the PS, PC and EELV ruled out forming a Nupes bloc in the assembly, saying they would prefer to remain independent. “Emanuel Macron was legally re-elected, but he has not been given a clear mandate,” For told reporters before the meeting. Earlier, Faure told FranceInfo radio that he would tell the president “the country is not well, it is angry, but it is not blocked and there are policies that are possible.” He called for an increase in spending power and pensions and an increase in the minimum wage, saying Macron’s one-man rule was over. Macron was scheduled to meet with Lepen at 5.30pm on Tuesday. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. The first meeting of the new Assemblée Nationale will take place next Tuesday.
