French political parties in power struggle to find next premier following snap polls

By Nur Asena Erturk

France is still in a power struggle to find a new name that could become the next prime minister following the snap parliamentary elections.

The left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP) insists that the next premier should be someone from their group, however, President Emmanuel Macron in a public letter on Wednesday urged all “Republican” major parties to find common ground.

He asked the political forces to “engage in a sincere and loyal dialogue to build a solid majority, necessarily plural.”

The president also explained the delay in designating a new prime minister, which requires to give “a little time to the political forces to build compromises with serenity and mutual respect.”

Meanwhile, the national secretary of the French Communist Party, Fabien Roussel, told the daily Liberation that Macron’s letter is a “denial of reality,” and the president refuses to “accept the defeat.”

Roussel stressed that Macron must let them govern in a relative majority.

Sandrine Rousseau, a member of the parliament from the Green Party, on Thursday described the situation in France as “extremely unstable,” and told the broadcaster RMC that the NFP was “worrying the French by not being capable of nominating a team and a government.”

President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher, for his part, told the broadcaster BFMTV on Thursday that he would fight a possible NFP government.

“If the president (Macron) decides so (nominating the NFP), I would fight this decision and would request that the government gets censored, … because (that government) would not suit the French’s will,” Larcher slammed.

The president on Monday rejected outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s resignation and asked him to stay “for now” until stability is ensured in the country, a move criticized by left-wing parties, who won the most seats in the elections.

None of the three main blocs -- the far right, center, and left -- secured an absolute majority to govern the country in the first round on June 30 and the second on July 7.

The left-wing NFP won 182 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly -- the lower chamber of the parliament. A majority requires 289 lawmakers.

The centrist alliance Together for the Republic, backed by Macron, finished second with over 160 seats, while Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party got over 140.