“UNDER SURVEILLANCE”
Marine Le Pen, who leads far-right National Rally (RN) lawmakers in parliament, has said her party would not be part of the new cabinet and would wait for Barnier’s first policy speech in front of parliament to decide whether or not to back him.
On Saturday, National Rally party head Jordan Bardella, who had hoped to be France’s next prime minister, indicated that the far-right would be watching Barnier’s every move.
“Mister Barnier is a prime minister under surveillance,” said Bardella, 28.
Barnier immediately shot back, saying he had a responsibility towards French people, not the far-right.
“I am under the surveillance of all French people,” he said on the sidelines of a visit to the Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris.
Barnier will be in charge of the budget, security, immigration and healthcare and will have to take the interests of the National Rally, the single largest party in a fragmented legislature, into account to avoid a motion of no confidence in parliament.
Barnier – who is likely to have only minority support in the Assembly – will face the urgent task of presenting the 2025 budget by early October.
