Le Pen predicts early Macron exit

RT
Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:25 UTC

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Marine Le Pen

The French president "is done," and the country is likely heading for an early election, the right-wing politician has said.

French President Emmanuel Macron has "angered everyone" and is likely to leave his post early, right-wing leader Marine Le Pen has predicted, stating she has been already preparing for early elections "out of precaution."

Speaking with Le Parisien newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday, the long-time leader of the right-wing populist National Rally (RN) party, who currently heads its parliamentary group, said Macron had lost all authority both at home and abroad.

"He has angered everyone. He has no more influence in the European Union," Le Pen said.

Le Pen stated that she has already been preparing to run for office. She has run for the highest office before, facing off against Macron in 2017 and 2020, when she managed to show better results yet still lost to the incumbent.

"Emmanuel Macron is done or almost done. I am preparing for an early presidential election, out of precaution, taking into account Emmanuel Macron's fragility and what little institutional levers he has left."

Le Pen's assessment contrasts with the pledges Macron has repeatedly made to remain in office until 2027. He has ruled out any possibility of leaving early despite calls from the opposition for his resignation.

France ended up in political turmoil after snap elections held in June and July, as the polls saw no party win an outright majority in parliament. After two months of back-and-forth, Macron picked Michel Barnier, a 73-year-old conservative and former Brexit negotiator, to head the government.

Barnier's tenure ended up being the shortest in France's modern history after he lost a no-confidence vote in parliament in early December, thus plunging the country into an even deeper crisis. Barnier became the first prime minister to lose such a vote since 1962.

Comment: Meanwhile, Macron has appointed a third PM in 2024:

Veteran centrist Francois Bayrou was announced as the new premier on Friday after a "tense" two-hour meeting with Macron, Politico reported. The 73-year-old politician, who is a former presidential candidate, will now try to steer France out of a political and budgetary quagmire.

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Francis Bayrou

"The president of the Republic has appointed Mr Francois Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government," the French presidency said.

Barnier was ousted after trying to pass a slimmed-down 2025 budget plan. The prime minister had argued that austerity measures were necessary to rein in France's budget deficit, which is expected to be 6.1% of the country's economic output this year - double the limit set by the EU.

Barnier's predecessor, Gabriel Attal, who had been prime minister since January, resigned in July following a snap parliamentary election that resulted in a hung parliament comprising three warring blocs.

Macron called a snap election in June after his Renaissance party was dealt a massive defeat by the right-wing opposition National Rally (RN) in the European parliamentary elections.

As a result of the snap vote, the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) coalition won the most seats in the French parliament as part of a pact with the president to sideline RN. Macron, however, then turned around and snubbed the NPF in favor of a minority cabinet that relied on the tacit support of RN.

Bayrou, a long-time ally of Macron, is likely to face the same difficulties as Barnier in steering legislation through the hung parliament, Reuters said. His proximity to the deeply unpopular Macron will also prove to be a vulnerability.

Bayrou is the founder of the Democratic Movement party, which has been part of Macron's ruling alliance since 2017. He ran for president in 2002, 2007 and 2012. He served as education minister between 1993 and 1997.

In 2017, Macron appointed Bayrou as justice minister, but he resigned weeks later amid an investigation into his party's alleged fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants. He was cleared of fraud charges in February.

Macron's parliament has become a revolving door.