By Ezekiel David
President Emmanuel Macron has invited leaders from France’s two parliamentary chambers for a meeting on August 23 to discuss the selection of a new prime minister, according to a statement released by his office on Friday.
This meeting comes after the surprising results of the July 7 election, which left France with a hung parliament and severely damaged Macron’s alliance with the centrists.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s administration has managed the country’s affairs in the meantime, overseeing the Paris Olympics, among other things.
Macron had planned to name a new prime minister by the middle of August, but he has postponed this choice. He has also not yet endorsed the candidate put forward by the left-wing New Popular Front, which emerged as the top party in the recent vote.
The goal of the upcoming meeting with leaders from the National Assembly and Senate is to “build the broadest and most stable majority possible to serve the country,” according to the statement from Macron’s office.
“The legislative elections showed that the French people want change and a broad consensus. Political leaders must now work together to fulfill this mandate,” the statement added. The appointment of a new prime minister is expected to follow these discussions. A source close to Macron informed Reuters that the president believes the new National Assembly leans toward the centre or centre-right and that the next prime minister should be someone capable of working with moderates across the political spectrum.