Bardella’s comments are surprising because the party’s longtime standard-bearer, Le Pen, would be barred from running in either legislative or presidential elections in the coming months due to her embezzlement conviction in March. Le Pen has repeatedly maintained her innocence, but her political future hinges on whether an appeals court will clear her name and lift her electoral ban — a decision not expected until next summer.
Macron is unlikely to resign but is keeping his cards close to his chest. He warned his closest allies to “be ready” on Sept. 8, when centrist Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government will likely collapse after a confidence vote, according two people who had been in direct contact with the French president and were granted anonymity to discuss these exchanges.
Bayrou shocked the country on Monday when he announced he would hold a vote to seek a green light from lawmakers over his plans to slash the 2026 French budget by nearly €44 billion to reduce next year’s budget deficit to 4.6 percent of gross domestic product, down from a targeted 5.4 percent this year.
The National Rally, the far-left France Unbowed — which is also calling for new elections and Macron’s resignation — and the center-left Socialists all said they will not support Bayrou’s plan to balance the books, effectively sealing his fate. Financial institutions and rating agencies have repeatedly urged France to rein in public spending amid concerns that the eurozone’s second largest economy could be headed toward a debt crisis.
Macron has already concluded that the government stands little chance of surviving, the two individuals told POLITICO, but it’s not yet clear whether he’s ready for new elections.
One presidential adviser POLITICO that while Macron was not “in favor” of another snap vote — a position he has reiterated in recent months — the French president “has always said that he would not deprive himself” of his constitutional power to dissolve parliament.
