France: government on the verge of collapse?
France is facing a government crisis: after Prime Minister Michel Barnier bypassed parliament to push through part of the state budget, the left-wing opposition parties and the right-wing populist Rassemblement National (RN) have tabled no-confidence motions. The vote is scheduled for Wednesday. Commentators point the finger in several directions.
Containment strategy didn't work
France's president has displayed a lack of foresight, the website In writes:
“To the extent that Macron chose not to form a government around the Nouveau Front populaire, the left-wing coalition that won the most seats in parliament, Barnier's government relies on the support of the Rassemblement National. In other words, the choices made by Macron – who called for legislative elections ostensibly in response to the far right's impressive showing in the European elections – have essentially made the far right the arbiter of political developments. ... Which obviously suits the far right to a tee, because it can prepare for the 2027 presidential elections while at the same time telling its supporters that its pressure has yielded concrete results.”
Le Pen plunging the country into a black hole
The former RN leader is behaving irresponsibly, criticises Le Figaro:
“Le Pen always wanted more, even at the risk of ruining her victory. Now she has chosen to bring down Michel Barnier's government, and in so doing she will plunge France into great political and financial uncertainty. She is exposing the weakest citizens to the mechanical effects of a makeshift budget. She is opening the door to the office of prime minister for the Socialists, something which her voters won't be happy about. ... We need a budget and some stability. Marine Le Pen has chosen adventurous schisms over the advantages of calm strength. She has multiplied her red lines at the risk of plunging France into a black hole.”
Don't forget the voters' message
Barnier could be tempted to make further concessions to the right-wing populists, Libération warns:
“The prime minister seems to forget that he is only in Matignon because of a very specific result in the legislative elections in July. And what was the main message of those elections? The massive rejection of a government that includes the RN. ... With the formation of an impressive Republican front, millions of left-wing voters cast their ballots for right-wing candidates and millions of right-wing voters for left-wing candidates. The leader of the teetering majority should therefore, as promised, take the opinion of the left into account in order to obtain majorities for his proposals, instead of bowing to the RN.”
Potentially a cold political calculation
The figurehead of the Rassemblement National may have her own personal reasons for choosing this course, La Stampa speculates:
“Marine Le Pen is accused of embezzling European Parliament funds and faces a five-year prison sentence and a five-year ban on standing for political office. The sentence is expected in the spring and could prevent her from running in the 2027 presidential elections. By provoking a parliamentary crisis and preventing the formation of a new government, she may be hoping to provoke a political crisis (Emmanuel Macron cannot dissolve parliament before June of next year) by calling for the resignation of the current head of state and the convening of a snap presidential election in the coming months.”
The moral of the story
Macron has only himself to blame for the dilemma, La Repubblica says:
“Perhaps, if one is permitted to draw a lesson at such a dramatic moment, his excess of programmatic Europeanism, coupled with a lack of pragmatic Europeanism, has ultimately turned against him. If he had succeeded in realising at least some of the projects he announced, if he had really dared to share with his allies the military and nuclear supremacy he wields in Europe, France and Europe themselves would not be reduced to this pitiful state today.”