PARIS: On Saturday, thousands of left-wing protesters took to the streets across France to oppose the appointment of Michel Barnier, the centre-right politician and former EU Brexit negotiator, as prime minister. Demonstrators also voiced their discontent with President Emmanuel Macron’s alleged “power grab.” Police estimated around 26,000 participants in Paris, though the left-wing organizers claimed the number was significantly higher.
Smaller rallies were held in various cities, including Nantes, Nice, Marseille, and Strasbourg.
Macron appointed Barnier, 73, on Thursday, aiming to advance after his centrist alliance finished second in the July snap elections. Barnier stated on Friday that he was open to including ministers from across the political spectrum, including the left. However, the left-wing coalition, which emerged as France’s largest force in the elections without an outright majority, reacted negatively to Barnier’s appointment.
The left-wing coalition had hoped for Lucie Castets, a 37-year-old economist, to be appointed prime minister, but Macron dismissed this possibility, arguing she would not secure a confidence vote in the hung parliament. Many protesters directed their frustration at Macron, with some calling for his resignation.
Protester Manon Bonijol, 21, declared, “The Fifth Republic is collapsing,” while another protester expressed skepticism about the efficacy of voting under Macron’s leadership.
Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whose France Unbowed party (LFI) and allies make up the left-wing bloc, has denounced the election results as “stolen from the French” and urged citizens to protest.
