The leaders of France’s Socialist Party emerged from talks with President Emmanuel Macron and other mainstream party chiefs, describing the meeting as “interesting but inconclusive”. The talks aimed to find a solution to France’s political crisis, following the ousting of Michel Barnier’s government last week. The Socialist Party has emerged as potential kingmakers, with the power to decide whether to support Macron’s next government or not.
Macron has set himself a 48-hour deadline to name a new prime minister, and is seeking the Socialist Party’s help to stave off another no-confidence vote. However, the Socialists are demanding that Macron name a leftist prime minister in exchange for their support. They may also seek to dilute his landmark pension reform.
During the talks, Macron stressed his desire to avoid dissolving parliament again, and asked party chiefs to agree to a non-aggression pact. He also refused to consider support from the hard-left or far-right National Rally (RN).
The Green party leader, Marine Tondelier, was critical of Macron’s intransigence, saying he made “no compromise, no concession” and that the presidential camp had not budged. Laurent Wauquiez, the head of the Republican Right grouping, expressed skepticism about an unprecedented political union between the centre-right and left.
The meeting did not include representatives from the RN or far-left France Unbowed, who had ousted Barnier’s government. The Socialist Party sees Macron’s decision to snub the RN as an opportunity to hold talks.
