Macron wins shock vote to keep coalition hopes alive

A conservative lawmaker, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, said the newly formed Republican Right political group would take a step-by-step approach, focusing its efforts at this stage on securing key positions in the National Assembly rather than discussing building a government together. The Republican Right has formally registered as being part of the opposition, the lawmaker added. 

The conservatives had previously publicly rejected the prospect of an outright coalition with the pro-Macron camp, but they have steadily signaled their openness to finding common ground on policy — putting forward a “legislative package” focused on policies aimed at “better recognizing work and restoring authority.” 

The NFP, meanwhile, now looks to be closer to collapsing than ever before. The alliance’s bickering and infighting prevented it from rallying behind a single candidate for prime minister, and even agreeing on Chassaigne — a congenial and well-respected parliamentarian — required negotiations that lasted until the day before the vote.

Several of its members cried foul following the vote, accusing the Ensemble group that backs Macron and the Republican right of subverting the will of the people by striking an agreement behind closed doors that kept the president’s ally in her post despite his party coming in second in parliamentary elections.

A handful of lawmakers booed Braun-Pivet during her reelection speech. When she said the French had “returned to the polls,” one MP yelled back “not for you.”

“Many of our fellow citizens are going to ask themselves if this is a denial of democracy,” Charles de Courson, a veteran centrist lawmaker and Macron opponent, told reporters after the vote. Courson ran in the first two rounds of Thursday’s contest before pulling out ahead of the final vote.