"Election disregarded"

Mass protests in France against new prime minister

This demonstrator in Marseille is politely calling for "democracy".

(Bild: APA/AFP/Christophe SIMON)

Although the left-wing alliance New Popular Front won the parliamentary elections in France two months ago, it did not achieve an absolute majority. The other blocs - Marine Le Pen's right-wing populist Ressemblement National and the presidential camp supported by the conservatives - did not have a sufficient majority to form a government either. President Emmanuel Macron has now decided to task the fifth-largest parliamentary group with forming a government. This has sparked protests across the country.

Left-wing parties are accusing Macron of ignoring the result of the parliamentary elections by selecting former EU Commissioner Michel Barnier as Prime Minister. Following the appointment of the 73-year-old, who had led the Brexit negotiations as EU Commissioner, trade unions, student representatives and, above all, the left-wing party spectrum called for mass demonstrations. This included the La France Insoumise (LFI, "Unbowed France") party, which reported that 130 demonstrations took place across the country on Saturday.

March against President Macron's decision in Strasbourg

(Bild: APA/AFP/SEBASTIEN BOZON)

Wave of strikes looms
According to a survey published on Friday by the opinion research institute Elabe, 74% of French people believe that Macron has disregarded the election result. France is facing a wave of strikes on October 1, which was already announced with the call for demonstrations on Saturday.

Macron had called for new elections following the rise of the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) in the European elections. However, his own movement Ensemble lost the majority in parliament in the vote at the beginning of July. The French constitution gives the president the right to appoint whoever he wants to the post of prime minister. However, this person must be able to withstand a vote of no confidence from the opposition.

Will Barnier be toppled by the right and the left?
The New Popular Front and the Rassemblement National could, however, topple the head of government together. In his first interview after his appointment, Barnier declared that he wanted to unite the fragmented parliament and at the same time take a tougher line on immigration policy. It remains to be seen whether this will win him the support of Le Pen's party.