President Emmanuel Macron broke his silence in an interview on France 2, Franceinfo, and France Inter on Tuesday, July 23rd. This marks his first public statement since the second round of the legislative elections on July 7th.
Facing accusations from his opponents of not acknowledging his electoral defeat, Macron addressed the political crisis following the dissolution of the National Assembly. With just three days until the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, the French president confirmed that he would not appoint a new government until after the Games conclude.
During the interview, Macron stated that the current caretaker government would remain in place at least until mid-August. “We are not in a position to make changes until mid-August,” he asserted, underscoring the temporary nature of the situation.
Macron firmly rejected the Nouveau Front Populaire’s (NFP) proposal to appoint their candidate, Lucie Castets, as Prime Minister, emphasizing that the left-wing coalition lacks a parliamentary majority. “It is false to say that the Nouveau Front Populaire has any kind of majority,” he stated. “The issue is not about a name. The issue is which majority can emerge in the Assembly to enable a government to implement reforms, pass a budget, and advance the country,” he added.
He called on the anti-Rassemblement National (RN) republican front to rise to the occasion and make compromises, just as they did between the two rounds of the legislative elections. “No party can implement its program alone,” Macron noted. “The responsibility of these parties is to do something that all European democracies do, which is not our tradition but is what I believe our compatriots expect. It’s about stepping out of their comfort zones and learning to compromise,” he asserted.
Macron also expressed his view that it was “not a good thing” for the National Rally (RN) to lack representation in the National Assembly’s bureau, citing the legitimacy of their elected members. He found it shocking that left-wing deputies refused to shake hands with the youngest member of the Assembly, an RN representative, who was overseeing the election process for the speaker position as per the rules.
Defending his record, Macron ruled out the possibility of another dissolution within the next year and dismissed any notion of resigning before the end of his term.