Tens of thousands of people are protesting across France against the appointment of right-wing Michel Barnier as the new prime minister, following an inconclusive election where the left secured the largest number of seats. Demonstrations are taking place in cities including Paris, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, and Strasbourg.
The protests, organized by trade unions and left-wing political parties, express anger over President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to reject their candidate for prime minister. Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, has indicated his willingness to work with politicians from across the political spectrum, including the left.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical France Unbowed party, has called for “the most powerful mobilisation possible” in national marches. Approximately 130 protests are occurring, with the largest starting from central Paris on Saturday afternoon. Mélenchon joined the Paris protest, delivering a speech from a float bearing the slogan: “For democracy, stop Macron’s coup.”
Protesters are using slogans such as “denial of democracy” and “stolen election” to express their dissatisfaction. The left is upset that Macron rejected their candidate, Lucie Castets, citing concerns about her ability to survive a confidence vote in the National Assembly. Barnier might be able to survive the vote due to potential support from the far right, which has also secured a significant number of seats, leading to criticism that his government could be reliant on the far right.
Barnier spent Saturday afternoon visiting a children’s hospital in Paris, emphasizing the importance of public services, but acknowledged that his government “is not going to perform miracles,” according to local broadcaster BFMTV. Amidst the protests, Barnier is focused on forming a new government and has reported positive and energetic discussions with leaders from the right-wing Republicans and the president’s centrist Ensemble group.
Some on the left are now blaming themselves for Michel Barnier becoming prime minister. Socialist Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo noted that President Macron had initially considered former Socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve for the position, but Cazeneuve was rejected by his own party.
Another Socialist Mayor, Karim Bouamrane, criticized the rigidity of other factions within the left alliance: “Their approach was all-or-nothing, and now we find ourselves with nothing.”
