French President Emmanuel Macron intends to accept the resignation of Gabriel Attal's government by this evening, Tuesday, according to French media reports. Macron informed the ministers that they will continue to manage their current affairs until a new government is appointed, with discussions about a period extending "until the end of the Olympic Games."
For its part, BFM TV reported, citing a source present at the meeting between Macron and the ministers, that the president thanked his prime minister and ministers amid applause at the end of the meeting. Macron's acceptance of the government's resignation will allow 17 ministers who won seats in the early legislative elections to take up their positions in the National Assembly, which will hold its first session after the elections this Thursday.
According to French constitutional rules, outgoing government members who won seats in the National Assembly must resign before its first session in order to be eligible for key positions or to participate in voting. Macron called for a cabinet meeting today at the Élysée Palace, which will be the last under the current formation led by Gabriel Attal, nearly six months after he arrived at Matignon, the Prime Minister's office.
This comes at a time when the "New National Front," a coalition of leftist parties that topped the results of the early legislative elections, is still unable to agree on a government team, prompting Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel to warn in a statement to BFM TV that they risk "sinking the ship" despite their electoral success.
Macron and Attal met yesterday, Monday, with members of their parliamentary group at the start of a crucial week, urging deputies to ally with representatives from both the right and left opposition to form a broader coalition.
