Macron Dismisses Calls for Resignation, Vows to Appoint New French Prime Minister Soon – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
10:16 AM – Friday, December 6, 2024
Struggling French President Emmanuel Macron expressed hope to nominate a new prime minister in the coming days during an impassioned televised address on Thursday.
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His remarks followed the ousting of Prime Minister Michael Barnier by lawmakers through a no-confidence vote just one day prior.
Macron rejected calls for his resignation, instead pointing fingers at both left-wing and right-wing factions that banded together to unseat Barnier’s government.
He did, however, take a strong stance against the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen, who has rallied opposition against him and is intent on undermining his policies.
“The extreme right and the extreme left came together in an anti-Republican front,” Macron remarked about the chaotic vote against Barnier that destabilized French politics and posed risks to the passage of a contentious budget.
Meanwhile, Barnier will continue to serve in a caretaker role until a new government is formed, according to Macron’s office after the president accepted Barnier’s resignation on Thursday.
“Let’s be candid, their only focus is the presidential election,” remarked Macron, accusing Le Pen’s party of employing a “cynical” strategy that has instigated “a sense of chaos” in the nation.
“They have disrespected their own supporters, opting merely for disorder,” he added.
“Starting now, we enter a new era,” Macron declared to the French people, emphasizing that the National Assembly “is tasked with fulfilling its elected role” and acting “for the benefit of the French public.”
Nevertheless, there’s scant evidence that this new era will be less turbulent for Macron than the previous one. Any new prime minister he selects must receive approval from a divided parliament, where he encounters resistance from both ends of the political spectrum.
Halfway through his final presidential term, the outcomes of the snap election he initiated in June have significantly complicated the latter part of his administration and diminished his influence domestically and internationally.
Furthermore, holding another snap election is not an option since the current parliament must remain in session until June, one year post the last vote.
Having sought to strike a balance between both factions by appointing Barnier in September, Macron might now aim for broader support.
Le Pen reaffirmed her opposition on Thursday against any attempts to marginalize her faction in parliament, declaring to French network CNews: “Our stance remains unchanged: we oppose a left-wing Prime Minister.”
A budget must be enacted by the deadline of December 21st. Should this deadline be missed, the government could still introduce a “fiscal continuity law,” preventing a shutdown by allowing it to collect taxes and disburse salaries while capping expenditures at 2024 levels, according to S&P Global Ratings.
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