French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and his government submitted their resignations on Tuesday (July 16), which were approved. However, they will remain in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is appointed.
Experts point out that the caretaker government will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Eurozone’s second-largest economy but will not have the authority to propose new laws to the parliament or implement any major policy changes.
Their responsibilities include ensuring the smooth running of the Paris Olympics, which are set to begin on July 26.
According to reports quoting Mathieu Disant, a law professor at Paris’ Panthéon-Sorbonne University, handling current affairs involves implementing established measures and responding to sudden emergencies.
The outgoing government has lost all governing powers, depriving them of any room for political action logically.
French President Macron dissolved the parliament weeks ago and called for elections in a huge gamble to consolidate his centrist alliance. However, the election results were not as favorable as expected. The National Assembly, which has 577 seats, is currently dominated by three major groups: the left-wing New People’s Front with over 190 seats, the centrist-right Presidential Camp with 160 seats, and the far-right National Union with 143 seats and its allies. None of these alliances have reached the 289 seats required to control the parliament.
After the results of the second round of parliamentary elections were announced, Prime Minister Attal submitted his resignation last Monday (July 8), which President Macron initially refused, asking him to continue in office temporarily to ensure national stability.
France has had caretaker governments before, but none have lasted beyond a few days. The term of an interim government is not fixed, and the parliament cannot force them to step down.
Under France’s strict separation of powers principle, ministers are generally not allowed to concurrently hold seats in the legislature. However, experts suggest that even in a caretaker role, Attal and other government members who have resigned can participate in the opening of the new parliament on Thursday (July 18) and be involved in the election of the parliament’s president.
The role of the parliament president, who is responsible for organizing the agenda and overseeing debates, becomes crucial in the current uncertainty of who will take over the government, as no party or group has an absolute majority.
The left-wing alliance unexpectedly secured the highest number of votes in the two rounds of elections on June 30 and July 7, sparking fierce disputes over who should be appointed as Prime Minister.
Analysts from “Eurointelligence” think tank stated that the election of the parliament president has never been as politically significant as it is now.
The left aims to demonstrate their ability to gain a majority in parliament, while the centrists have contrasting objectives.
The New People’s Front (NFP) is a leftist alliance hastily formed before the elections, which includes the Socialist Party, the Green Party, the Communist Party, and the strong left-wing “La France insoumise” (LFI).
The strained relations among these parties, which failed to secure an absolute majority, have once again intensified, focusing on who can lead a potential left-wing government.
Macron has called for mainstream parties to form a coalition government, including some members of the NFP but excluding “La France insoumise,” making the situation even more complex.
Fabien Roussel, the leader of the French Communist Party (PCF), expressed extreme disappointment on BFM TV about the current difficulty in reaching consensus among left-wing parties.
“If we cannot find a solution in the coming hours or days, it will be a huge failure.”