In a significant political development, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has been elected as the president of the Renaissance group in the National Assembly, securing 84 out of 98 votes. This move comes as President Emmanuel Macron’s coalition seeks to navigate the complex political landscape following legislative elections where no party secured a majority.Attal’s election to this parliamentary leadership role is seen as a strategic maneuver by Macron’s allies to potentially break free from the President’s leadership style and adapt to the new political reality. The 35-year-old Attal was the sole candidate for the position after former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne withdrew from the race.Meanwhile, the left-wing alliance, known as the Nouveau Front Populaire, is proposing Huguette Bello as a potential Prime Minister candidate. Bello, a communist with 23 years of experience in the French National Assembly and strong ties to Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise party, has been praised by Mélenchon as a ‘racially conscious, feminist, anti-racist woman’. However, the Socialist Party is resisting this proposal, backing their own leader, Olivier Faure, for the position.The political maneuvering comes as France faces an unprecedented impasse, with Macron urging different political forces to find ‘compromises’ to build a ‘broad coalition’. The situation has raised concerns about the country’s ability to form a functional government and address pressing challenges.As the political landscape continues to shift, constitutional experts are questioning the compatibility of Attal’s new role with his current position as Prime Minister. The government is expected to be declared resigned, possibly after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a new chapter in French politics.
Key points
- Gabriel Attal has been elected president of the Renaissance group in the National Assembly with 84 out of 98 votes.
- The left-wing alliance, Nouveau Front Populaire, is proposing Huguette Bello as a potential Prime Minister candidate.
- France is facing political uncertainty as no party secured a majority in the recent legislative elections.
- Macron is urging political forces to find compromises and build a broad coalition.
Contradictions👾While some sources indicate that Attal will remain as Prime Minister for now, others suggest that his new role may be incompatible with his current position.
