National Rally Signals Likely Opposition to New Prime Minister Despite No ‘Automatic censorship’
PARIS – While Marine Le Pen‘s National Rally (RN) asserts it won’t automatically reject any nominee for Prime Minister, a high-ranking party source indicates a near certainty – “99% chance” - of triggering a censure motion against President Macron‘s eventual choice. Teh stance comes amid speculation surrounding potential candidates like Sébastien Lecornu, currently Minister of the Armed Forces, who has reportedly cultivated relationships with RN leadership, including a recent dinner with Le Pen and Jordan Bardella on April 30th.
The RN’s conditional acceptance hinges on the new Prime Minister’s alignment with the party’s core concerns. Le Pen outlined “four taboos” during a speech in Pas-de-Calais on Sunday: immigration, the cost of living, fraud, and France’s contributions to the European Union. She warned any nominee failing to address thes issues would face censure, stating, “We will tirelessly remain the lawyers for the interests of France and the French.without taking these considerations into account, it will also be censored.”
The potential for RN opposition follows the recent rejection of multiple ministerial appointments by parliament – a first for the Fifth Republic – and the exclusion of Xavier bertrand as a potential Prime Minister candidate. One elected official told BFMTV that the debate is shifting from personality to policy, stating, “bertrand is on his person, the left is on the program.”
Despite the likely opposition, an RN heavyweight emphasized the party’s desire to avoid appearing obstructionist, stating, “Given the tensions, the French expect good faith. If you will censor it wrongly… there is no reason to put yourself in an absolute rejection position and anything.The French do not want free instability!” Le Pen herself affirmed the party is “never in a state of mind of automatic censorship.”
