PARIS – The newly-formed government of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, unveiled after weeks of intense negotiations, found itself under heavy fire from both the far left and far right just hours after its announcement on Sunday. Opponents from both political extremes – now the largest blocs in the National Assembly – launched fierce critiques as Barnier’s cabinet prepared for its first meeting.
President Emmanuel Macron had called a snap election to resolve political gridlock, but the results in July left the assembly deeply divided. After eleven weeks of wrangling, Macron finally announced a rightward-shifted cabinet on September 21, drawing from his own allies, the conservative Republicans (LR), and centrist groups – despite LR placing fourth in the election.
From the left, politicians wasted no time in threatening to bring Barnier’s government down with a vote of no confidence. The New Popular Front (NFP), a left-wing alliance that secured the most seats in the National Assembly but fell short of a majority, voiced immediate opposition. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a prominent far-left figure, slammed the new government as “a cabinet made up of the election’s losers” and called on the public to remove it “as soon as possible.”
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure echoed this sentiment, condemning the cabinet as “a reactionary government that shows contempt for democracy.”
On the far-right, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally – now the largest single party in the Assembly – also criticized the new government’s makeup. Le Pen’s ally, Jordan Bardella, dismissed it as a continuation of Macron’s previous administration, declaring that it “offers no future” for France.
Macron, who had hoped for neutral support from the far right, now faces hostility from both sides, with Barnier’s government already under siege before it even begins. As the new administration gears up for its first meeting, France appears set for a politically turbulent chapter ahead.
