
With the Olympic Games in Paris fast approaching, a leader of a prominent French union has called for mass strikes to compel President Emmanuel Macron to accept the results of the recent legislative elections and allow a leftist coalition to form a new government.
The legislative elections left France’s National Assembly divided among three major political groups: the New Popular Front leftist coalition, Macron’s centrist allies, and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally. The New Popular Front, consisting of the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists, and the Greens, secured the most seats but fell short of a majority.
Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT union, urged Macron to respect the election outcome during an interview with France Inter. “If he does not, he risks plunging the country into chaos once again,” Binet warned. She called on union members to protest and keep the National Assembly under scrutiny, emphasizing the need for public pressure to uphold the election results.
Despite the New Popular Front’s inability to propose a prime minister due to internal conflicts, Binet insisted that Macron should still permit the coalition to govern. The president has instructed his prime minister, Gabriel Attal, to continue his duties, despite Attal’s offer to resign. Macron has stated he will wait for political parties to form a “Republican” majority before deciding on a new prime minister, a stance that has angered the leftist coalition and unions.
The inaugural session of the new legislature is scheduled for July 18. As France gears up for the Olympics, the call for strikes underscores the deep political divisions and the urgency felt by many to address the current impasse.