Macron’s Tightrope Walking on Mr. Brexit’s Shoulders
The tensions in France’s domestic politics have peaked with Emmanuel Macron’s remarkable efforts to appoint a new prime minister.
With former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe adding to the tensions by announcing his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections, Macron significantly altered the political landscape of his country by appointing a lesser-known figure as prime minister. Michel Barnier, a veteran of French politics known more for his work in the European Union than in France, at over seventy years old, will be the oldest prime minister of France. He will replace the youngest prime minister in France’s history.
If everything goes according to his wishes, and more importantly, according to Macron’s plan, Barnier will have held his last important position as the EU Commissioner and then as the EU’s official representative in the negotiations to formalize the UK’s exit from the EU after the Brexit referendum.
His toughness against the British governments, particularly his stand against the demands of Theresa May’s government and his defense of EU interests, made him a well-known figure in Brussels and a relatively unpopular one in Britain. Barnier was for a long time a regular feature in British media and has become part of the political history of that country. Macron’s move to appoint Barnier as prime minister is considered a stunning tightrope act, which is very intriguing to observers outside of French politics, even though the French are accustomed to these ups and downs and shifts in their country’s politics.
Barnier belongs to a right-wing party that recently finished fourth overall in the elections. The French left is furious about this appointment, and at the same time, they know they must somehow stand against the far-right party of Marine Le Pen and cannot afford to give them maximum space.
So far, the total seats that Macron has secured firm support from for the new government are significantly short of the required majority, and the main support for Barnier’s government’s survival is the cooperation of Marine Le Pen and the lack of effort to overthrow it.
Marine Le Pen and her party’s leader have so far shown a green light in their statements with specific conditions. The coming days will determine the fate of Macron’s peculiar tightrope act. If everything goes according to Macron’s wishes, he will have defeated the far-right in the elections with the help of the far-left and defeated the far-left in forming the government with the far-right.
This is an intriguing game that if successful, will be historic.