Reigning in France: Macron sees himself as ruler – News

French expert Kempin says President Macron wants to remain at the center of power despite losing the election.

France voted six weeks ago. The left-wing coalition Nouveau Front Populaire became the strongest force, lacking an absolute majority to form a government ahead of President Emmanuel Macron and right-wing nationalist Marine Le Pen. So, Macron’s old government is now running the business. Macron has now met with a leftist coalition to negotiate a new government. French expert Ronja Kemp explains the situation.

Ronja Kempin

Expert Foundation for Science and Politics

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Ronja Kempin has been a member of the Foundation for Science and Politics in Berlin since 2003. He is an expert on German-French relations in the field of defense policy.

SRF News: What will the new French government look like?

Ronja Kempin: The political left has named a candidate for prime minister. But Emmanuel Macron is delaying their appointment. He wants to leave the center of power – the President – with him and appoint someone who is not crazy in Parliament as Prime Minister himself.

Will he win?

That is the important question. The left remains united, while voices in the president’s camp are diverse. Some say he should try to rule with a project-by-project majority, with an undefeated prime minister in parliament. But they don’t want a stable coalition agreement. Others say the president should stay out of it. He must take action to Parliament and allow Parliament to make laws. It would turn the political system of the French Fifth Republic upside down.

In France, the president sees himself as the ruler and the government has only the task of implementing the president’s agenda in his self-image.

Macron’s camp lost the election. Indeed, should the Left Alliance – the strongest force – be given the task of forming the government?

In France it’s a little different. The president sees himself as the ruler and in his self-image the government has only the task of implementing the president’s agenda. This is not possible with the left, which has the right to shape things, especially with regard to the pension reform implemented by Macron.

Alliances across party lines are uncommon in France. Perhaps something like that could come under the leadership of a left-wing coalition?

At the moment it is difficult, even for Macron to solve this task almost impossible. He speculated that the Socialists might break away from the Left Coalition because there was little overlap with the far left. But conservatives on the other side of the political spectrum, like the Gaullists, did not allow socialists to divide themselves. Nor do they see themselves as majority purchasers of the President.

The interim government can only administer policy, but no longer shape it.

In France, the parties are already looking towards the 2027 presidential election, and in the eyes of many, the president has squandered his political credits and needlessly led the country to a political phase of not knowing but instability.

A meeting with representatives of political camps is also scheduled for Monday. How long can Macron wait before giving someone a government mandate?

There are no formal time limits. But the reality is that the political calendar pushes him to name an effective government and let it function soon. An interim government can only administer policy, but no longer shape it.

The interview was conducted by Evan Lieberherr.