Macron convenes French party leaders for August 23 talks aimed at forming a government

FRANCE 24

16 August 2024 at 7:52 am·1-min read

French President Emmanuel Macron will host party leaders next Friday for "a series of discussions" aimed a breaking the country's political deadlock, more than a month after legislative elections resulted in defeat for his ruling party and a hung parliament.

French President Emmanuel Macron will convene party leaders on August 23 for a series of consultations, the Élysée said Friday, in a bid to form a government following the snap elections.

France still does not have a new prime minister, weeks after legislative elections that produced a lower-house National Assembly with no clear majority.

Macron said in July he would seek to name a new prime minister after the Paris Olympics, which ended on August 11, stressing that parties in a fractured parliament must come together to build a broad coalition first.

While the successful Olympic Games have lifted what was a morose mood in France, analysts say that it is far from certain this could boost Macron's embattled fortunes.

The aim of next Friday's meetings with presidents of the party groups in the National Assemly and Senate is to "build the broadest and most stable majority possible to serve the country", Macron's office said in a statement.

"The president is obviously not opposed to this if it is a collective request," said the source.

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