French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he will keep his interim government, a centrist government, in power through the Olympics, while the left-wing New Popular Front alliance announced it has found a candidate for prime minister.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the Games run smoothly,” Macron told broadcaster France 2. “It is clear that we are not in a situation where we can change things until mid-August, because otherwise we would create chaos.”
The Olympic Games in Paris start on Friday. The first preparations for certain disciplines begin on Wednesday.
Macron’s comments came after the New Popular Front announced it would propose to civil servant Lucie Castets to form a government, potentially ending weeks of internal strife since the new alliance won a surprise victory in the second round of parliamentary elections.
The left camp – consisting of the socialists, the greens, the communists and the troublemakers Jean-Luc MélenchonThe far-left France Unbowed defeated Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National on July 7, while Macron’s centrist alliance came in second.
Initially, the party struggled to capitalise on the success, as Mélenchon’s party temporarily suspended negotiations after weeks of wrangling.
Macron, who is responsible for appointing the prime minister in the French political system, said Castets must win support in France’s lower house, the National Assembly, where no party or alliance has a majority after the elections.
“The question is what majority can emerge in the National Assembly so that the French government can implement reforms, adopt a budget and move the country forward?” Macron asked.
Following Macron’s comments, it appears that centrist interim Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who initially resigned after the elections, will remain in office until after the Olympics.
However, the political troubles Macron has faced in recent months – including a crushing defeat in the European Parliament elections in June – do not appear to have undermined the president’s fighting spirit.
Asked whether he should step down if the unrest continues, Macron said he would serve his term “in its entirety”.