At other times little drama would be expected from the appointment that Élisabeth Borne had on Wednesday afternoon at the Palais Bourbon, right on the Seine. A new legislative period begins, the Prime Minister presents the government’s program to the National Assembly, that is, above all, the President’s. This is more of a ritual when the government, as is usually the case, has an absolute majority behind it.
However, this majority was lost in the most recent parliamentary elections, which is why it is becoming more exciting in French politics and, especially for Emmanuel Macron’s camp: more strenuous. The attempt to form a coalition based on the German model, for example with the middle-class conservatives Republicains (LR), failed. All that remains is for the minority government to seek ad hoc majorities for individual projects. So the woman at the top has to advertise, negotiate, tactics, and without any particular political experience in this area.
Under these auspices, Borne appeared before the deputies, and late in the evening also in the Senate. On a day just before the school holidays when many trains were not running due to an SNCF strike and more than 200,000 new Covid infections were registered in 24 hours. The 61-year-old did not ask Parliament for its trust, as is usual. Those around her said it was too risky, and that she wasn’t the first head of government to abandon this tradition.
And yet she did not appear defensive, but combative, determined, not without a smile in the face of constant boos and sometimes sneering protests from left and right. She initially praised the “new method of government”. It is called cooperation and compromise, nolens volens, or “building together for France” in Borne’s words. “I want us to give meaning to the word compromise in our politics,” she said. “We are ready to listen to suggestions from all sides, to discuss them and, if we share the goals and values, to change our project.”
When it comes to purchasing power, cooperation could work. Hardly with the pension reform
It could be comparatively easy when it comes to purchasing power, which is to be addressed immediately. The French collectively have the feeling – reinforced by the media – that they can hardly afford anything anymore. Even if the inflation rate is currently significantly lower than in Germany, at 5.8 percent, thanks to price caps. A lot has already been done, but will now propose more, said Borne: a rent cap, tripling the “Macron premium”, lowering taxes for the self-employed, help for employees and students. A bill on purchasing power is to be passed in the cabinet this Thursday.
President Emmanuel Macron at the first cabinet meeting after the general election. Next to him Economics Minister Bruno Le Maire and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.
(Photo: Christophe Petit Tesson/Reuters)
Borne said industrial society must be ecologically restructured, but this should not be at the expense of growth. Your government will not raise taxes. She wants to stick to the abolition of the broadcasting fee and instead finance the broadcasters from tax revenue. Here, too, there is room for compromise.
It will be more difficult with the pension reform, a matter close to Macron’s heart. The entry age is to be raised to 65, and exceptions for professional groups are to be abolished. The French would have to work longer, which is essential, said Borne. But you will sit down with the social partners and the MPs, it is not the “take it or leave it” method. The left in particular, in the form of the new alliance Nupes, has announced no willingness to compromise.
Its strongest part, La France Insoumise (LFI), wants to form a fundamental opposition with the aim of ousting the government as quickly as possible in order to be in an even stronger position after new elections. “We are the opposition. And the opposition consists of resistance,” LFI boss Jean-Luc Mélenchon swears to his people. In September he wants to launch a “march against expensive life” on the streets.
Even before Borne’s speech, the LFI parliamentary group had tabled a motion of no confidence to set an example. Their partners, communists, socialists and greens, followed after initial hesitation; which does not mean that they want to block parliament, as Socialist leader Olivier Faure put it on the record. It will only be voted on later, the necessary absolute majority is not in sight because the political right refuses.
There are now many more extremists in parliament
There you play a different game. On the far right, the Rassemblement National is holding back for the time being in order to prove its seriousness, while the conservative Républicains (LR) want to present themselves as a constructively critical opposition. “It’s not about overthrowing the government or landing a political coup,” says Annie Genevard, the new LR chairwoman. “What image would we present to the French?” Above all, they want to achieve their own goals in the National Assembly.
The goals themselves are not free of contradictions. On the one hand, the party calls for “an end to the checkbook policy.” On the other hand, parliamentary group leader Olivier Marleix proposed in a letter to Borne to lower the fuel tax in order to cap the price of petrol at 1.50 euros per liter; reducing employers’ contributions and forgoing the recent increase in social taxes for pensioners – all measures that cost a lot of money. “A bit demagogic, not very credible,” says an internal critic loudly Les Echos.
After the elections, the proportion of extremists in parliament increased significantly. This is one of the reasons why it is becoming more difficult for the center government to govern. When they were re-formed, Macron refrained from the usual signals of accommodation, because that would probably have been of little use. Neither right nor left nor green heavyweights were brought on board, the key figures remain the same: finance minister Bruno Le Maire, interior minister Gérald Darmanin, defense minister Sébastien Lecornu, foreign minister Catherine Colonna. The emergency doctor François Braun becomes Minister of Health, Christophe Béchu will be responsible for “ecological change” in the future, replacing Amélie de Montchalin, who lost her seat in Parliament.
The new Europe Minister will be OECD chief economist Laurence Boone. She takes over from the faithful Macron assistant Clément Beaune, who has to prove himself in the thankless transport department. The former LR politician and former foreign trade minister Franck Riester will play an important role in the coming months: he is responsible for relations with parliament.