Macron's political crisis: Impeachment threat and left-wing rifts
France's Constitution does not include a procedure for "impeachment" to overturn and replace the president through Parliament.
Consequently, some members of the French left are embarrassed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon's call to impeach President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting that the French left alliance is not as solid as it claims to be.
This new dispute within the New Popular Front Alliance, which won the recent early elections, is advantageous for Macron’s camp, which hopes to capitalise on a fragmented opposition. The political turmoil in France following the chaos created by the latest early elections remains a significant concern.
Last week, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the founder of the far-left movement France Unbowed (La France Insoumise, LFI), again urged Macron to appoint the relatively unknown Lucie Castets as Prime Minister. Castets is the preferred candidate of the left alliance, which includes Mélenchon's party, as well as socialists, greens, and communists.
This time, however, Mélenchon's leftists have issued a threat: if Macron does not concede to their demands, Parliament should initiate impeachment proceedings, as "the refusal to recognize legislative elections and the decision to ignore them constitutes a serious breach of the fundamental requirements of the presidential mandate," Mélenchon said.
Aside from Mélenchon's support, the impeachment procedure has little chance of succeeding, experts say, primarily because it would require backing from two-thirds of parliamentarians in both chambers of the French parliament.
Nevertheless, the proposal has had at least one concrete effect: it has weakened the left wing and highlighted its divisions. All other parties quickly rejected Mélenchon's call, and even Castets' entourage distanced itself from the impeachment threat.
Similarly, socialist leader Olivier Faure distanced himself from Mélenchon's call for impeachment, with some members of his party increasingly opposing the extreme positions of the LFI movement.
The three left-wing parties were set to present a united front in the consultations that Macron will hold at the Élysée Palace to form a new government. However, this unity is now in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Macron’s allies are rubbing their hands, hoping to take advantage of the divisions among their left-wing opponents. In the past, Macron has implicitly rejected the possibility of Castets becoming Prime Minister and has instead called for a broader alliance, including members of his own camp.
French politics has been suspended during the Paris Olympics: the country still does not have a government more than a month after acting Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and his ministers resigned. They continue to serve as an interim administration.
A provisional minister predicted that the new government could be appointed after the Paralympic Games, which will be held in Paris until September 8.
Author: Dan Alexe
Translation by Iurie Tataru
