- French Politics
- Emmanuel Macron
The French president rejected the left's choice for prime minister, repeating that 'nobody won' the recent legislative elections. He said he does not want a new government before the end of the Games, on the pretext of 'stability.'
ByClaire Gatinois
5 min read
Lire en français- Share
- Share on Facebook
- Share by email
- Share on Linkedin
Subscribers only
![Macron postpones formation of new government until after Paris Olympics (1) Macron postpones formation of new government until after Paris Olympics (1)](https://i0.wp.com/img.lemde.fr/2024/07/23/0/0/7808/4732/664/0/75/0/c4c73a2_5152594-01-06.jpg)
The time for Plan B is over. On Tuesday, July 23, interviewed by France 2 television and Radio France in front of an Eiffel Tower adorned with the Olympic rings, Emmanuel Macron looked out over the Seine, confident and proud. With just three days to go before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, the French president can finally see the fruit of the grandiose and audacious scenario planned for the evening of July 26: For the first time, the show will take place outside of a stadium, on the Paris river.
"The security checks have been done," he said. "We will all see on Friday night why it was worth the hassle," boasted Macron, aware that the gated streets and QR codes required around the stands are annoying city dwellers and tourists alike. "The Olympic Games are hosted once a century. An opening ceremony of this magnitude marks a first in the history of the Games," explained the president, his voice covered by the sound of helicopters hovering over the French capital.
The day before, Macron had called for an "Olympic" and "political truce" to ensure that this major sporting event – which, he said, was also a "life lesson" – would not be marred by petty squabbles with his opponents. However, it was Macron himself who put the country in a state of tension by deciding to dissolve the Assemblée Nationale on June 9. Since July 7 and the second round of early legislative elections, the presidential camp no longer has a majority in the Assemblée Nationale. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's resigned government has been reduced to day-to-day affairs.
Self-declared truce
There are no regrets. Even if Macron acknowledges his camp's defeat. "The outgoing majority lost this election," he admitted – adding immediately that "nobody has won." At the risk of appearing deaf to the ballot box's sanction, Macron warned that nothing will change at the top of the government before the end of the Olympic Games. No new prime minister will be appointed during the self-imposed truce. Macron wished for "stability for the country," arguing, "We're not in a situation where we can change things because we'd be creating a mess."
With a wave of the hand, Macron swept aside the name of Lucie Castets, proposed in extremis by the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) left-wing alliance an hour earlier to take up the post of prime minister. The senior civil servant, a financial advisor to Paris City Hall and an expert in fraud repression, is the first name on which the coalition that came out on top on July 7 managed to find an agreement. "Are you going to call her tomorrow and say, 'Come and see me, we'll see if you can put together a government?'" the journalist asked. "That's not the issue," Macron answered.
You have 63.17% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil.
Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois
Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil.
Découvrir les offres multicomptes-
Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil.
Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur, téléphone ou tablette).
-
Comment ne plus voir ce message ?
En cliquant sur «» et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte.
-
Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici ?
Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil. Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte.
-
Y a-t-il d’autres limites ?
Non. Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez, mais en les utilisant à des moments différents.
-
Vous ignorez qui est l’autre personne ?
Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe.
Lecture restreinte
Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article
Pour plus d’informations, merci de contacter notre service commercial.