French President Emmanuel Macron has "confirmed" his confidence in Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, after the head of government came under fire for a wooden performance in an election that saw her boss fail to retain an overall majority in parliament.
Speaking on Saturday, Macron said he had instructed Borne to conduct new consultations with parliamentary groups to form a "government of action" for early July.
"I decided today to confirm my confidence in Elisabeth Borne," Macron said.
Macron, who spoke with his head of government yesterday, announced that he had instructed her to sound out the political groups in the National Assembly on a number of issues over the course of next week.
They include groups' possible participation in a government, their position on a vote of confidence in Borne herself on 5 July and also on a vote on the state budget next autumn.
Working towards a roadmap for government
For her part, Borne said recently on Twitter: "... I have been in contact with the presidents of the groups in the National Assembly and the Senate. I have reiterated that dialogue and listening will enable us to build concrete responses for the French people. This is the meaning of the message from the ballot box and our will with the President of the Republic."
J’ai échangé depuis jeudi avec les présidents des groupes à l’Assemblée nationale et au Sénat. J’ai redit que dialogue et écoute permettront de bâtir des réponses concrètes pour les Français. C’est le sens du message des urnes et notre volonté avec le Président de la République. pic.twitter.com/3BzeZgjrH5
— Élisabeth BORNE (@Elisabeth_Borne) June 25, 2022
Macron added that upon his return from the G7 and NATO summits this week, the prime minister "will submit to me proposals for a roadmap for the government of France over the coming months and years, and also for the composition of a new government of action at the service of France that we will put in place in the first days of July."
"I have confidence in our collective ability to get there. I have confidence in the ability of the Prime Minister...," he said.
Political deadlock
France is facing a prolonged political deadlock after opposition parties gave a frosty reception to Macron's call for "compromises" to keep France governable after an inconclusive parliamentary election.
Macron made his plea in an address to the nation late Wednesday days after failing to retain his centrist bloc's overall majority in parliament, a setback that threatens to cripple his ability to carry out his planned reforms.
His centrist Ensemble alliance finished 44 seats short of an overall majority in the National Assembly, as a new left-wing coalition and the far right made major gains.
