PARIS: France’s President Emmanuel Macron was Tuesday considering the possibility of appointing former right-wing minister Xavier Bertrand as the new Prime Minister after almost two months of the July 7 deadlock elections, sources with knowledge of the discussions said, AFP reported.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who resigned in early July, has been serving in a caretaker capacity during the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. However, the urgency to form a new government is growing, particularly as the October 1 deadline approaches for presenting the draft budget law for 2025. Attal’s interim cabinet is not equipped to handle this critical task.
On Monday, Macron met with two potential candidates for the premiership: Xavier Bertrand, the right-wing head of the Hauts-de-France region, and Bernard Cazeneuve, a centrist who previously served as Prime Minister and Interior Minister. Sources from the presidency said that Macron is still “testing both hypotheses” as he considers his options.
The right-wing Republicans (LR) party have expressed support for Bertrand, provided he can secure adequate backing from lawmakers. Bertrand, 59, previously served as Minister of Labour and Health under Presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy. His experience and political alignment make him a preferable choice for the right-wing faction.
However, Bertrand’s potential appointment faces significant opposition from the far-right National Rally (RN), the largest single faction in the National Assembly with 126 seats. The RN has announced that it will oppose Bertrand through a no-confidence motion if he is appointed Prime Minister. The RN’s stance is influenced by its demand for a “technocratic” government that would implement proportional representation in future legislative elections.
Bernard Cazeneuve, 61, a centrist and former Prime Minister during François Hollande’s presidency, is also in the running. Cazeneuve’s tenure included handling the aftermath of the 2015 Paris attacks. However, his candidacy appears less favored compared to Bertrand, given the current political climate.
Another potential candidate, Thierry Beaudet, the head of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE), was reported to be in the mix. Nonetheless, a source close to the situation said that Beaudet’s candidacy seems to have lost momentum, with the focus shifting towards Bertrand.
The left-wing alliance that emerged as the largest bloc in the July elections had suggested economist Lucie Castets, 37, as a candidate. However, Macron has dismissed this suggestion, citing concerns that Castets would not survive a confidence vote in the fractured parliament.
