Macron’s Choice for Prime Minister, a Victory for the French Right?
It is no secret that French President Emmanuel Macron took a gamble in calling an election earlier this year. With the French far-right ascendant in European Union elections, Macron’s gamble paid off—revealing that the far-right had not as much popularity domestically. Despite this, his gamble still backfired, with the far-left coalition beating out Macron’s center. Recently, bucking the left majority in the government, Macron appointed a center-right Prime Minister by the name of Michel Barnier. Barnier represents an attempt by Macron to prevent a left government, with the new PM himself being a member of the center right-wing Les Républicains and a staunch right-winger himself. The PM has an outspoken opposition to non-European immigration and possesses a similar economic policy to that of centrist Macron.
In the French left, there is no love lost for Barnier, with leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon describing the new government as, “a government of the general election losers”. To the left, the appointment seemingly shuns their electoral victory, ignoring the fact that they received the largest share of votes—instead viewing the move to appoint Barnier as a means by Macron to keep the left out of power.
While the French far-right has criticized Barnier and his government, arguing that it has no future, it has become a veritable deciding factor in the future of Macron and Barnier’s government. As a result of the lack of an absolute majority by any political blocs post-election, and the left’s opposition to Barnier, the far-right will have the deciding power in the formation of a government. Because of the current unwillingness of the left to form a coalition with Barnier, the center may be forced to court the far-right, potentially forcing Macron’s center into bed with the right.
Ultimately, while it is too soon to tell what the effect of Macron’s appointment of Barnier will entail, there is no doubt that Macron’s refusal to hand the left the victory of their own Prime Minister will force him to work more and more with the right, providing the losers of the snap election with outsized power—and sidelining the electorally victorious left.