France Parisian prime minister warns cabinet: more action instead of speeches

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has urged the new centre-right government to deliver good work instead of making long speeches. At the first meeting, Barnier called on his cabinet to "act more than communicate, and to act before communicating", according to French media reports. "No show, please!", he demanded of the ministers who had taken office in the morning after a tough government formation. They should appear "impeccable and modest". Barnier himself had already announced when he took office two weeks ago: "We will do more than talk."

The opposition has been heavily critical of the government, which, despite the victory of the left-wing alliance in the parliamentary elections, is mainly made up of politicians from President Emmanuel Macron's center camp and conservatives. "The appointment of Michel Barnier and the formation of this government are a kind of organized robbery," said the coordinator of the Left Party, Manuel Bompard, to the broadcasters Europe 1 and CNews. He announced a motion of censure "to restore democratic order".

As the government of the conservative former EU Commissioner Barnier does not have an absolute majority in parliament, it will in practice also have to rely on the toleration of Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN), which is strongly represented in the lower house. The deputy leader of the RN parliamentary group, Jean-Philippe Tanguy, told France Inter that the right-wing nationalist party would also use this influence on the government. "We are the ones who will decide whether this government has a future or not." Barnier's government statement on October 1 is eagerly awaited.

SDA