Rejection Of NFP PM Candidate Hints At Further Political Paralysis

President Emmanuel Macron's rejection of hitherto low-profile civil servant Lucie Castets for the position of prime minister could prove a harbinger of things to come, with little sign of how the current impasse in France's political situation comes to an end. On 22 July, Castets, the director of financing and purchasing for the city of Paris, was put forward as PM candidate by the leftist New Popular Front (NFP, which emerged from the legislative election as the largest bloc in the National Assembly.

• Macron rejected Castets' candidacy out of hand, saying in a televised interview that "Until mid-August, we're in no position to change things, because it would create disorder," When asked about the NFP's proposal, Macron said that "This is not the issue. The name is not the issue. The issue is: Which majority can emerge at the assembly?", adding that he would appoint a PM who could command "the broadest backing possible."
• Focus will turn to the end of the Olympic Games on 11 August as the point at which a new gov't will loom. However, there is little to suggest that the stalemate evident at present will change by mid-August (a time when French politics is usually in the middle of its summer break).
• The stalemate between Macron/Ensemble and the NFP shows little sign of being resolved. With PM Gabriel Attal having officially resigned, this could set the stage for a Mario Draghi-style technocratic gov't - a scenario that France is not accustomed to in comparison to Italy - risking further political paralysis.