FRANCE
Le Parisien is reporting that according to its sources, the appointment of a new prime minister is 'imminient', with former foreign minister Michel Barnier the favourite to be named as head of the next gov't. As we noted earlier (see 'FRANCE: Barnier Tipped For PM Position As Frustration w/Macron Grows', 0841BST), the name of Barnier only emergedon 4 Sep. Le Figaro reports that Macron is in consultations with party group heads on backing Barnier for Matignon.
- Le Parisien: "[caretaker PM] Gabriel Attal sent a message to his close relations planning a transfer of power at 4 p.m.[CET] after a press release to formalize the appointment of the new Prime Minister scheduled (in principle!) for 1 p.m."
- In the event that Barnier is named as PM, there will be immediate focus on whether his gov't will be able to carry a majority in the National Assembly. The combined forces of Macron's centrist Ensemble, the conservative Les Republicains (LR) from where Barnier hails, and other centrist/centre-right groups comes to fewer than the 289 seats required for a majority (see chart below).
- Should all other political forces vote against such a gov't in a censure vote, the administration would fall. Backing from the centre-left Socialist Party (PS, 63 seats) would be enough to give such a gov't a majority. However, to date the PS has maintained its alliance with other New Popular Front members.
Chart 1. National Assembly, Seats (Ensemble, Centrists & LR)
Source: Le Monde
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