The French left is running again to head the Government in the face of the foreseeable fall of Barnier

MADRID Dec. 3 () –

Leaders of the French left have claimed that their political space is the one that the head of Government should occupy in the event that the predictions come true and the current Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, falls, as a result of a motion of censure that will be voted on Wednesday in the National Assembly after the lack of a minimum consensus on the budgets for 2025.

In the legislative elections in July, the Nine Popular Front (NFP), of which the Socialist Party and La Francia Insumisa (LFI) are part, among other formations, already insisted that it should take the reins of the Executive as it is the bloc with the most representatives in the Lower House, ahead of the allies of President Emmanuel Macron and the far-right of Marine Le Pen.

The left then nominated the economist Lucie Castets, who this Tuesday, in statements to Franceinfo, declared herself “prepared to govern” if Macron so demands. He has clarified, however, that he does not want to do it at all costs and that it is not “a personal issue”, since he could support another person who was “in a better position.”

Macron ruled out the Castets option and any other that emerged from the left with the argument that they had the explicit rejection of the rest of the groups and, therefore, were doomed to failure. He ended up opting for Barnier, from Los Republicanos and who has also failed to consolidate support in the National Assembly.

The leader of the socialists, Olivier Faure, is betting like Castets on “a left-wing prime minister”, capable of presenting “a left-wing project” before Parliament although he may be open to “compromises” with other groups, as he has explained in statements to BFMTV.

Faure has denounced that Barnier “has only reached out to Marine Le Pen” to try to save the Social Security budget project and, ultimately, guarantee its political survival. In this sense, he stated that the prime minister “never” has sought the slightest discussion with the Socialist Party.

WEDNESDAY, KEY DAY

Barnier resorted on Tuesday to article 49.3 of the Constitution, a prerogative that empowers him to advance a text without the need for a vote but empowers the opposition to present motions of censure. Both the NFP and Le Pen’s National Rally have launched initiatives, with signs of success in the case of the left.

The two opposition blocs are committed to voting together, which is why in recent hours they have sought to mark distances in their respective speeches. Le Pen has regretted in statements to the press the “obsessions” of the left and has urged them to “avoid insulting” those who will end up voting the same in the National Assembly, even if it is for a common enemy.

French legislation does not grant a constructive nature to motions of censure, which do not require the presentation of an alternative candidate to the current prime minister. The power of appointment lies with the head of state, in this case Macron, who should open a new round of contacts and appoint a new person to head the Government.