Protesters accuse Emmanuel Macron of stealing French election

Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to appoint a conservative prime minister.

Demonstrators in Strasbourg hold a banner during a demonstration against the appointment of the new right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Picture: AFP

Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to appoint a conservative prime minister, after a coalition of left-leaning parties won the most seats in parliamentary elections in July.

Protesters gathered in dozens of cities across the country after student unions and opposition leaders called for massive demonstrations against Mr Macron, whom they say has stolen the election from the French people.

In Paris, protesters gathered at the Bastille square, a symbol of France’s revolution, chanting “Macron resign”. The interior ministry said 110,000 people took to the streets nationwide, including 26,000 in Paris, while one leading left-winger put the turnout across France at 300,000.

“The President of the republic has decided to disregard the vote of the French people,” said far-left politician Aurelie Trouve, who protested in Paris on Saturday (Sunday AEST). “This is the first step of a big protest movement.”

The unrest is a sign of the difficult times ahead for the French President, who called snap elections in June, gambling that voters would rally around his centrist ranks and reject parties from the far ends of the political spectrum.

Instead, French people split their votes largely between a multitude of parties, resulting in the most divided National Assembly in the history of France’s modern republic.

A protester in Strasbourge hold a smoke flare during a demonstration on Saturday. Picture: AFP

Mr Macron’s ranks shed dozens of seats, forcing his previous prime minister to resign and opening a long debate over which party was entitled to field the next prime minister.

The President rejected a candidate floated by the New Popular Front – a coalition of socialists, greens, communists and the far-left France Unbowed – insisting that the alliance’s candidate didn’t have enough support in the ­National Assembly to survive a confidence vote.

On Friday, he appointed instead Michel Barnier, a 73-year-old member of the conservative Republicans party, which finished fourth in the snap elections.

Mr Barnier’s appointment drew outrage from the leaders of the New Popular Front, who say Mr Macron has ignored the will of French voters and effectively placed the government’s fate in the hands of the far-right.

The survival of the new government will now likely depend on Marine Le Pen’s far-right ­National Rally, which garnered 126 seats in the National Assembly in July.

The government would be forced to resign if the far-right party backed a no-confidence ­motion that the New Popular Front has vowed to put forward. The left-leaning coalition has 193 seats in the 577-seat assembly, Mr Macron and its allies control 166 and the Republicans 47.

“From now on, nothing can be done in politics without the ­approval or censure of the National Rally,” said party president Jordan Bardella on Saturday.

“Mister Barnier is a prime minister under surveillance.”

In his first TV interview as Prime Minister, Mr Barnier said he was ready to work with other political parties.

He said his priorities would be reducing immigration, tackling the country’s yawning deficit and helping raise low salaries. He also said he was open to discuss possible improvements to Mr Macron’s contested pension overhaul but wouldn’t repeal the bill.

For now, the New Popular Front and National Rally said they won’t join the new government.

The Wall Street Journal