France’s left-wing parties, which emerged as the strongest bloc in parliament after a snap election, are facing delays in forming a joint government. Despite their victory, the New Popular Front (NPF), an alliance of socialists, Greens, communists, and the hard-left LFI party, fell short of a majority.
The head of the Socialist Party (PS), Olivier Faure, announced on Monday that any agreement regarding a joint government will not be reached before July 18th, the date of the first meeting of the newly elected National Assembly. Faure’s statement signifies a shift in tone, as he and other leaders previously expressed readiness to form a government quickly after their surprise election win on July 7th. However, talks within the bloc have been unproductive for a week.
President Emmanuel Macron has urged the mainstream parties in the hung parliament to form a coalition capable of achieving a “solid” majority. This pressure has targeted the more moderate parts of the NFP, encouraging them to abandon the LFI party and join Macron’s centrists.
Even if the left-wing parties manage to agree on a prime ministerial candidate, it remains unclear whether Macron would accept to appoint someone from their ranks. This uncertainty stems from the fact that any such government would lack approximately 100 seats in parliament, preventing them from forming a stable majority.
