She must resign – that’s how French Prime Minister Borne described her resignation. President Macron is forcing a restart, but political observers doubt whether he can succeed.
It was the most succinct way in which President Emmanuel Macron announced the resignation of his head of government – with a post on X, the former Twitter. A picture in which both of them stand with their arms crossed, but laugh at each other in a friendly manner. Below is a heartfelt thank you in just a few lines.
No matter who comes now, she doesn’t expect any major changes, said the parliamentary group leader of the opposition Les Ecologists, Cyril Chatlin, on the France Info radio station: “Depending on what I hear, the president will lean on his closest confidants. He’s looking for one, so to speak continuity of itself,” says Vhatlin.
France will have the same policy for months to come. “What we need is a prime minister who does not owe his political existence to the president and who can set strong accents. I don’t see how that is possible under Emmanuel Macron.”
“Impression of standstill”
In fact, it appears that Borne did not leave voluntarily. “Now that I and my government have to resign, I want to tell you how passionately I have carried out this task,” she wrote in her dismissal request. She, who had always emphasized from the beginning that she wanted to serve the nation.
Politically, she primarily served the president and pushed through everything that was unpleasant for him. Nevertheless, political scientist Bruno Cotress believes that the impression of standstill was too great in the end: “Macron’s problem is that he promised people a kind of new start, a new pace for his second term in office,” said Cotress.
At the same time, Macron has always largely retained the government team. “So if Macron really wants to create the impression that he wants to fundamentally realign his policies and define clearer goals, then also through a new prime minister.”
Governing the hard way
It was a politically tough year for Macron and the government. First the unpopular pension reform, and finally the impasse over the immigration law. “Madame 49.3” is what many people called Elisabeth Borne. During her time as head of government, she had to resort to the controversial Article 49.3 of the constitution a total of 23 times. Under certain conditions, this allows laws to be passed through parliament without a vote.
“Perhaps a new head of government can try to negotiate compromises differently, deal differently with the different political factions in parliament in order to ensure more stability. Nothing would be worse than if he replaced Borne now. And in a few months it will only be about articles 49.3 rules and there are no stable majorities.”
The problem: the lack of a majority
The name that comes up most often as a potential new head of government is that of Education Minister Gabriel Attal, 34 years old and with experience in various government positions. But the fundamental problem remains: No matter who it is, there is a lack of an absolute majority in parliament, without which political projects are difficult to implement.
The success of Macron’s remaining term in office depends on whether the new prime minister can organize these majorities.
Carolin Dylla, ARD Paris, tagesschau, January 9th, 2024 8:42 a.m