On Thursday, the newly elected 577 MPs in France’s National Assembly will elect the president of the lower house of parliament. This vote could be decisive in nominating the country’s future prime minister.
Since no progress has been made in finding a candidate for France’s prime minister, the left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP), which won the most seats in the country’s legislative elections, has since shifted its focus to try to agree on a candidate for president of the National Assembly, which convenes for the first time on Thursday.
It’s set to be a high-stakes vote that will determine the balance of power between the three main political blocs — the NFP, the presidential alliance and the far-right National Rally (RN), none of which have an absolute majority.
The president of the National Assembly is the fourth highest-ranking person in the French government and has the role of leading the debates in the chamber.
They can also appoint three members of the Constitutional Council, one member of the High Council of the Judiciary and three Higher Audiovisual Council members.**
To be elected, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of votes from the 577 MPs in the National Assembly in the first or second round of voting.
If that’s not the case, a third round is organised, and the candidate who obtains a relative majority wins.
Why does this matter?
Why is Thursday’s vote so important? It might determine the nomination of the future prime minister.
This appointment will reveal the initial markings of potential alliances between the different blocs.
If the left-wing coalition fails to elect someone from its parties, French President Emmanuel Macron could use this as an excuse not to appoint a left-wing PM, claiming it won’t represent the MPs in parliament since the president of the National Assembly and the prime minister should come from the same political party.
That’s why the 143 RN MPs and their allies may swing Thursday’s vote.
In return, the RN is already eyeing key positions, such as the vice-presidencies or the post of the head of the Finance Commission, which will be at stake on Friday and Saturday.
Who are the potential candidates?
The MPs of the left-wing NFP have already made it clear that they will do everything in their power to prevent the RN from occupying key positions, Cyrielle Chatelain, president of the Greens in the National Assembly, told reporters on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday evening, only three candidates have officially declared they are running for the presidency of the National Assembly.
They include the outgoing president Yaël Braun-Pivet from Macron’s camp, who hopes to keep her seat with the support of the more conservative right-wing The Republicans (LR) party.
Centrist Charles de Courson, 72, has also presented himself as a candidate.
On the left, Chatelain told reporters she could see herself as a “good possible candidate”.
Several other names have been put on the table, including Socialist Boris Vallaud and Communist André Chassaigne.
The far-right RN, however, has not yet revealed its candidate.
