Macron Holds Meetings w/Centrists & Conservatives In Search For PM

Following on from his meetings earlier today with figures from the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) (see 'FRANCE: Macron Talks With NFP Figures In Effort To Reach Agreement On New PM' 1201BST), President Emmanuel Macron has just finished meetings with leaders from the centrist group of parties supportive of his presidency. These include outgoing PM Gabriel Attal, president of the Horizons party former PM Edouard Philippe, and the president of the Democratic Movement (MoDem), François Bayrou.

• Macron will now hold talks with Laurent Wauquiez, president of the conservative Republican Right (LR) group in the National Assembly, and Bruno Retailleau his Senate counterpart. The Republican Right is the name of the parliamentary group of Les Republicains.
• With the NFP unlikely to be able to command a majority there is speculation that a figure from LR could emerge as a compromise to gain backing from the centrist and centre-right blocs that could secure a majority with the backing of some other smaller parties.
• Le Monde outlines the order of talks. After the NFP, centrist Ensemble will be "...the [centre right Republicans]; the centrists of the LIOT group, and the radical left. The representatives of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, as well as their ally, Eric Ciotti, will in turn be received on Monday morning. The head of state, who had failed to properly consult the presidents of the Assemblies before dissolving, should finally meet on Monday with [National Assembly president] Yaël Braun-Pivet...and Gérard Larcher, president of the Senate."