France’s Socialist party outlines plan to end political stalemate

France’s Socialist party has proposed a Left-wing prime minister as it is expected to emerge as kingmaker in Emmanuel Macron’s attempt to form a new government

As the country faced months of paralysis caused by the ousting of Michel Barnier, the now-former prime minister, Olivier Faure, leader of the Leftist PS (Parti Socialiste), visited the president at the Élysée Palace on Friday, and outlined a plan to end the stalemate.

He told Mr Macron his party could offer “a change of political direction” after the conservative Mr Barnier’s failed attempt to govern.

There would be “reciprocal concessions” on all contentious issues, Mr Faure said, and a “go-between” could be appointed to bring significant parties in the massively divided 577-seat National Assembly together.

These would include Mr Macron’s Renaissance Party, which has 98 seats, and the conservative Republicans, which has 51 seats.

The PS – traditionally one of the most successful parties in France – only has 67 seats, but is a leading member of the 193-seat New Popular Front coalition.

It came into existence in the summer to block the rise of Marine Le Pen’s populist-Right National Rally, which has 126 seats.

Crucially, Mr Faure said he was prepared to exclude Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s hard-Left France Unbowed (La France Insoumise), which has 71 deputies, from the plans.

This would make the proposed government far less extreme, said Mr Faure, adding that “the Unbowed have excluded themselves from this discussion”.

Mr Faure said: “We have to find a solution because we cannot bring the country to a standstill for months”.

Compromises would include “a freeze of the pension reform” started by Mr Macron that caused mass protests, including rioting.

“On all issues, we are forced to compromise because we do not have an absolute majority,” said Mr Faure. “I am ready to enter into discussions. That does not mean that I am ready to say that I have become a Macronist”.

‘We want to pursue a Left-wing policy’

In turn, Mr Mélenchon expressed his anger at the idea, saying that he had “given no mandate to Olivier Faure either to go to this meeting alone or to negotiate an agreement and make mutual concessions”.

Mr Faure responded: “When Jean-Luc Mélenchon says that he has not given us a mandate to negotiate, he is telling the exact truth: I am not receiving a mandate from him, I am speaking on behalf of the socialists, in the name of the country’s interests and to try to break the institutional deadlock.

“We want to pursue a Left-wing policy, with a Left-wing prime minister. We do not want to ensure the continuity of Macronism.”

Mr Macron was meeting numerous political leaders at the Élysée on Friday to form “a government of general interest”.

Neither the National Rally nor France Unbowed were invited after Mr Macron used a TV address on Thursday to attack their extremism.

He blamed them for bringing the government down and “causing chaos” across France.

It came as Mr Macron’s aides indicated there would be a “holy truce” among political enemies during the reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral over the weekend.

Mr Macron originally wanted a prime minister to be alongside him, as he welcomes up to 50 world leaders to see the Roman Catholic place of worship celebrating mass for the first time since a devastating fire in 2019.

That now looks highly unlikely, and Mr Macron is likely to halt negotiations on Friday night, before resuming them on Monday.