The French president names the EU's former Brexit negotiator almost two months after snap elections.
  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    142·
    3 months ago

    “This is now essentially a Macron-Le Pen government,” said Mr Mélenchon, referring to the leader of the far-right National Rally (RN).

    How is Barnier representing Le Pen here?

    I mean, if he said it was a Macron-Macron government or something, that at least I could understand.

    • zaphod@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      22·
      3 months ago

      Macron’s Ensemble Coalition plus Barnier’s Les Républicains don’t have a majority in the National Assembly. By choosing a prime minister from a right wing party one could argue that Macron hopes for the support from Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National with which he officially doesn’t want to cooperate, otherwise there could soon be a vote of no confidence and back to square one.

    • Justin@lemmy.jlh.nameEnglish
      19·
      3 months ago

      How else does Macron expect to get a majority behind Barnier? He already rejected a technocrat coalition with NFP. Macron is obviously expecting to get support from Le Pen in return for a cordon sanitaire on the socialists.