Emmanuel Macron has rejected a resignation request from Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne after his defeat in the general election. The French President wanted her in office and the government to remain able to act, the Élysée Palace announced on Tuesday. The resignation of the incumbent government is usual after the general election in France and is more of a formal act.
But now the situation is special. In Sunday’s election, the president’s centre-camp did not receive an absolute majority, but only a simple majority, a situation that has not existed in France for over 30 years. (Read more about this here .
The president is looking for “possible constructive solutions,” it said in the Élysée. The program includes one-hour meetings with Christian Jacob, leader of the conservative Republicans, Olivier Faure, secretary general of the Socialists, Stanislas Guérini of Macron’s own Renaissance party, Marine Le Pen, longtime party leader and future group leader of the right-wing populist Rassemblement National, and Fabien Roussel, the leader of the Communist party.
Against this background, Macron began successive talks with the leaders of the parties represented in parliament on Tuesday morning to explore possibilities for constructive cooperation or coalition. These talks should be completed by Wednesday, according to the Élysée Palace.
The cabinet meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday was canceled. Prime Minister Borne called a meeting with the ministers in the afternoon, the newspaper Le Parisien reported.
