PARIS (AP) 鈥� French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he will keep a centrist caretaker government on through the Olympics to avoid 鈥渄isorder," brushing aside an 11th-hour prime minister nomination by the country's leftist coalition.
Macron made his widely expected announcement in a TV interview late Tuesday. Just prior to that appearance, the leftist coalition that won the most votes in this month's parliamentary elections selected little-known civil servant Lucie Castets as their choice for prime minister.
But Macron told the France 2 network that the current government, who resigned last week to take on a purely caretaker role, would 鈥渉andle current affairs during the Olympics,鈥� which are being staged in Paris and elsewhere in France through Aug. 11.
鈥淯ntil mid-August, we鈥檙e not in a position to be able to change things because it would prompt disorder,鈥� Macron said. 鈥淚 have chosen the stability鈥� to safeguard the Games, which will soon gather about 10,500 athletes and millions of fans.
Party leaders in the leftist coalition immediately slammed Macron's unwillingness to immediately consider their prime minister candidate.
There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a new prime minister, following legislative elections that left the National Assembly, France鈥檚 influential lower house of parliament, with no dominant political bloc in power for the first time in France鈥檚 modern Republic.
Asked about the leftist coalition's choice, Macron said 鈥渢he issue is not a name provided by a political group," adding that there must be a parliamentary majority behind the candidate to 鈥減ass reforms, pass a budget and move the country forward.鈥�
France has been on the brink of government since the National Assembly elections resulted in a split among three major political blocs: the leftist New Popular Front, Macron鈥檚 centrist allies and the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen.
Macron, who has a presidential mandate until 2027, has the ultimate say in who is appointed prime minister. However, that person would need enough support from lawmakers to avoid a no-confidence vote.
Macron urged politicians from both the moderate left, the center and the moderate right to 鈥渨ork together" during the summer, arguing that with no outright majority, none of the main blocs can implement their political platforms.
He said 鈥渃ompromises鈥� are needed.
Macron said he'd like to form a government as soon as possible, but that 鈥淥bviously, until mid-August, we need to be focused on the Games.鈥�
The leftist coalition has repeatedly demanded the right to form a government after it won the most seats in the National Assembly, yet deep internal divisions have prevented its members from agreeing on a prime minister candidate for more than two weeks. The coalition is composed of three main parties 鈥� the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens.
On Tuesday, they appeared to rush to propose Castets before Macron made his first televised interview since the elections.
Following Macron鈥檚 comments, hard-left leader of France Unbowed, Jean-Luc M茅lenchon, said on X that 鈥渢he President refuses to accept the results of the election and wants to ... force us to abandon our platform and form an alliance with him. This is out of the question. Respect the French people鈥檚 vote.鈥�
鈥淓mmanuel Macron needs to get out of denial,鈥� the Greens鈥� secretary general Marine Tondelier said. 鈥淲e have won, we have a program, we have a prime minister... The president can鈥檛 just stand in the way.鈥�
Castets, a 37-year-old senior civil servant, graduated from France's elite school Sciences Po and the 脡cole Nationale d鈥橝dministration as well as the London School of Economics. She has worked at the General Directorate of the Treasury and Tracfin, the anti-money laundering unit of the Finance Ministry.
The New Popular Front described her as 鈥渁 leader of associative struggles for the defense and promotion of public services, actively involved in the battle of ideas against raising the retirement age to 64 (years old).鈥� They also highlighted her efforts in combating tax fraud and financial crime.
S茅bastien Chenu, a lawmaker and vice-president of the far-right National Rally, criticized the selection of Castets, calling it 鈥渁 joke in bad taste.鈥�
Last year, Macron struggled to pass an unpopular plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, prompting months of mass protests that damaged his leadership.
Sylvie Corbet And Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press
