French premier & government resign amid political uncertainty

French centrist Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and his government resigned on July 16 following an inconclusive snap election. However, they will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is appointed.

The caretaker government will manage current affairs in the eurozone's second-largest economy but lacks the authority to submit new laws to parliament or make significant changes. Their primary role will include ensuring the smooth operation of the Olympics, which are set to begin on July 26, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"Handling current affairs means implementing measures already decided and managing emergencies that arise. No more no less," said Mathieu Disant, a law professor at Paris' Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

"An outgoing government is deprived of its full powers. This completely - and quite logically - deprives it of any margin for political action."

Caretaker governments in France have never lasted more than a few days, but there is no set limit on their tenure. Parliament cannot force the acting government to resign. Typically, French ministers cannot simultaneously serve as lawmakers, but their resignations will allow Attal and other government members to sit in parliament and participate in the election of the assembly's president when it convenes on Thursday.

Critical election for assembly president

The election of the assembly's president is crucial at a time of political uncertainty, as no party or group holds an absolute majority. A left-wing alliance that unexpectedly topped the June 30 and July 7 elections is now struggling to agree on a prime minister candidate. This alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP), ranges from socialists and Greens to the communist party and the hard-left France Unbowed.

Eurointelligence analysts highlighted the significance of the upcoming election: "Never before has the election of the president of the assembly held such a political significance. For the left, the aim is to show it has what it takes to command a majority in the assembly. For the centrists, it is to demonstrate the opposite."

The NFP, hastily assembled before the election, has faced renewed internal tensions after failing to secure an absolute majority. Further complicating the situation, President Emmanuel Macron has called on mainstream parties to ally with a government, which would include some NFP members but exclude France Unbowed.

"If we don't manage to find a solution in the hours, the days, to come, it would be a shipwreck," Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel told BFM TV, describing the state of talks among left-wing parties as "deplorable."