French President Emmanuel Macron held rare talks with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and National Rally (RN) party head Jordan Bardella on Monday, as pressure mounts for him to name a new prime minister following July’s inconclusive parliamentary elections.
Le Pen and Bardella entered the Elysee Palace through a rear entrance ahead of their 10:45 am (0845 GMT) meeting with Macron, who was not present at the time.
Macron’s attempt to resolve the parliamentary deadlock with snap elections last month did not succeed. The National Assembly remains divided among three major blocs: the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance with over 190 seats, Macron’s supporters with about 160 seats, and the far-right National Rally with 140 seats. None of these blocs holds a majority in the 577-seat chamber.
The left has pushed for Macron to appoint one of their own as prime minister, proposing 37-year-old economist and civil servant Lucie Castets as a candidate. However, Macron has delayed the appointment, maintaining a caretaker government while searching for a broadly supported candidate who would not face immediate dismissal in a confidence vote.
With the deadline to present the 2025 budget approaching, Macron has been meeting with party leaders at the Elysee in an attempt to find a consensus candidate. The left, including the Socialists, Communists, Greens, and France Unbowed (LFI), insist they have earned the right to lead with their spending program.
Some Macron allies, conservatives, and RN members have pledged to vote against any left-wing government. The upcoming 2027 presidential election, which Macron cannot contest, further complicates efforts to reach a compromise, as many leaders focus on demonstrating their ideological positions for the future race.
