As Attal and other ministers eye a future outside government, deep cracks have appeared between the 35-year-old premier and his former mentor Macron…reports Asian Lite News
France’s prime minister on Saturday was elected leader of his party’s National Assembly lawmakers as politicians from all sides jockeyed for position to form the next government.
Gabriel Attal was the only candidate in the vote by the Renaissance party parliamentary group, which he plans to use as the base from which to rebuild the political force that got roundly beaten in a snap election called by President Emmanuel Macron.
Of the 98 Renaissance deputies registered to vote, 84 backed Attal, who will start in his role next week.
As Attal and other ministers eye a future outside government, deep cracks have appeared between the 35-year-old premier and his former mentor Macron.
Macron did not get any mention in Attal’s message to Renaissance deputies outlining his leadership bid, with observers saying that the prime minister blames the president for calling the vote, which he said took the party to the brink of “extinction.”
Sunday’s election runoff left the National Assembly without any overall majority, but a broad alliance — called New Popular Front of Socialists, Communists, Greens and the hard-left France Unbowed won the most seats, with 193 in the 577-strong lower chamber.
Macron’s allies came second with 164 seats and the far-right National Rally third at 143.
According to the constitution, Macron will appoint the next prime minister, who must be able to survive a confidence motion in parliament.
This appointment could come as early as next week when the new National Assembly session opens, but Macron could ask Attal to stay on while Paris hosts the Olympic Games starting July 26.
Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron called out Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chilkli’s comments as “unacceptable” after he publicly promoted Marine Le Pen, French far-right leader of the National Rally party, before the parliamentary elections, Al Jazeera reported.
Chilkli said the leader of the National Rally party would be “excellent for Israel”, Al Jazeera reported, quoting Israeli news outlets.
French President then called up Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and objected to the comments made by Amichai Chilkli, Al Jazeera reported.
“I think I and Netanyahu are of the same opinion. It’s not a personal matter,” Chilkli was quoted as saying, Al Jazeera reported.
Chilkli said that his support for Marine Le Pen is founded upon her stance on the International Criminal Court – where Israeli leaders face accusations of war crimes, her positions on Hamas, and “the Jewish community’s fight against anti-Semitism”.
Macron told Netanyahu on the phone call that he found the comments to be “unacceptable” and considered them to be an interference in the domestic matters of France.
By the end of the phone call, Netanyahu assured Macron that he would take steps to prevent further comments on the internal matters of France.
An Israeli official called Chilkli’s comment a “diplomatic bomb”, Al Jazeera reported, quoting Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
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