Élisabeth Borne, French Prime Minister: the opposition launches hostilities
The new French Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, speaks during the handover ceremony in the courtyard of the Matignon hotel, in Paris this Monday, May 16, 2022. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
After the appointment to Matignon of Elisabeth Borne, the first woman to head a French government since Edith Cresson, in 1991, political reactions are numerous, in the opposition.
Barely arrived, the new Prime Minister, who still has to form her future team, must indeed cross the crucial stage of the legislative elections.
The campaign is indeed in full swing, the first attacks are already coming.
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Former presidential candidate, Fabien Roussel, deputy for the North and national secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF), is sounding the charge.
"
I fear that the President of the Republic has found in Madame Borne his new Madame Thatcher
," he said on RTL radio on Monday.
And to call on voters, via the social network Twitter, to favor the New People's, Ecological and Social Union (Nupes), the alliance signed between his party, the rebels of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the PS and Europe Ecology-Les Greens, on the occasion of the legislative elections next month.
70% of French people do not want the pension reform proposed by Macron.
Elisabeth Borne should think of these workers who have a healthy life expectancy of 59 years.
We can block this policy in the legislative elections.
@RTLFrance
— Fabien Roussel (@Fabien_Roussel) May 16, 2022
Same story on the side of the Socialist Party, where the first secretary Olivier Faure, boss of the PS, finds only one "
positive point
" in this appointment, namely that a woman will occupy the post of Prime Minister.
"
For the rest... Appointment of the Minister of Transport who dismantled the public rail service, of Ecology condemned for climate inaction, of Labor who despoiled the unemployed with the reform of unemployment insurance #BorneOut
", considers he.
False suspense on the appointment of the next prime minister.
Spoiler: whatever his gender and his political trajectory, he will be a collaborator and the power will remain at the Elysée.
Only the #NUPES can give meaning to this nomination.
#Matignon #Prime Minister
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) May 16, 2022
For Julien Bayou, national secretary of EELV, environmentalists can "
only be delighted to see, for the second time in the history of the Fifth Republic, a woman gaining access to Matignon
", except that the lucky woman, at her eyes, "
whether as Minister of Ecology or Minister of Transport, has failed to put France on the trajectory necessary to respect the Paris Agreement
".
“
She shares, with others, the responsibility for these five years lost for the climate.
»
Elisabeth #Borne: a Prime Minister, finally.
But that's the only reason for satisfaction.
His record at Ecology is the double condemnation of France for climate inaction.
For climate and social justice vote #NUPES #legislatives2022
— Julien Bayou (@julienbayou) May 16, 2022
Declared candidate to take the place of Ms. Borne after the legislative elections on behalf of Nupes, Jean-Luc Mélenchon spoke to the press on Monday.
"
His appointment begins from the first moments with an attempt at deception, Ms. Borne would be a leftist woman
", but "
we do not grant her this label
", he said in a statement to the press.
"
I propose to Ms. Borne a debate in order to discuss the policy she wants to implement and the record she already has
," said the leader of La France insoumise, citing several reforms carried out by the former minister, including opening up to rail competition.
He said he held her "
personally responsible that a million unemployed people had their allowances
reduced ", responsible for "
the reduction of workers' rights
", not to mention that she "
spoke out for retirement at 65
".
"
As far as ecology is concerned, we won't make such a long list, but it is ecology that postponed entry into the energy mix for ten years, and therefore the end of nuclear power, and postponed the end of the single use of plastic objects,
”listed the one who came third in the presidential election.
A new season of social and ecological mistreatment begins.
Elisabeth Borne embodies the continuity of the policy of the President of the Republic.
She is one of the toughest figures in macronist social abuse.#Matignon #PremierMinistre pic.twitter.com/Ew7prR9kEa
— Jean-Luc Melenchon (@JLMelenchon) May 16, 2022
On the right, Nadine Morano, MEP Les Républicains, believes that Ms. Borne is "
on the left, under orders, and no shadow of the president ... the ideal profile
", while Éric Ciotti, LR deputy for the Alpes-Maritimes , sees in the new Prime Minister “
a socialist technocrat
”.
“
Back to square one, he started on the left and will finish on the left.
Humiliation for those who thought he was going to do a right-wing policy
, ”wrote the former candidate for the right-wing primary.
Change everything to change nothing.
3 weeks of dithering and small arrangements, without vision or perspective.
With the appointment of @Elisabeth_Borne, we leave with the same.
— Christian JACOB (@ChJacob77) May 16, 2022
For Eric Zemmour (Reconquest!), former presidential candidate: "2022 will therefore be the year of submission to the left", he wrote on Twitter.
2022 will therefore be the year of submission to the left.
Macron appoints a left-wing prime minister in Matignon.
Mélenchon unites the left.
Le Pen flirts with the left.
LR submits to the left.
Only @Reconquete_off resists and assumes to be the great popular right-wing movement.
https://t.co/WRAicUgXe7
— Eric Zemmour (@ZemmourEric) May 16, 2022
On the other hand, those rallied to Macronie pay tribute to the new head of government.
Christian Estrosi, ex-LR mayor of Nice: “
Élisabeth Borne's great knowledge of the territories will be invaluable to the conduct of our country's affairs.
In her previous responsibilities and in her five years in government, she was very attentive to local elected officials.
»
Renaud Muselier evokes “
excellent news for France.
For five years, on the themes of transport, the environment and employment, I was able to measure his competence and his commitment to France.
“More surprisingly, the former candidate of the Les Républicains party for the presidential election, Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, sends all her “
Republican congratulations
” to Ms. Borne, wishing her “
The best for France
”.
Finally, Marine Le Pen has of course also reacted.
No Republican congratulations from the side of the former finalist of the last two presidential elections, herself in the midst of the legislative campaign on behalf of her party, the National Rally, which hopes to significantly increase its number of deputies in the future National Assembly, fault to have expressed the ambition to impose itself there.
By appointing Elisabeth Borne as Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron demonstrates his inability to unite and the will to pursue his policy of contempt, deconstruction of the State, social destruction, tax racketeering and laxity.
– Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) May 16, 2022
No quarter either on the side of Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, another unfortunate candidate of the last presidential election, eliminated in the first round and who also calls not to give a majority to Elisabeth Borne, within the National Assembly.
Response from French citizens in June.
#Terminal to #Matignon!
Fidèle de Kholer (SG of the Elysée), responsible for the scandalous protocol of 2015 on the highways and the catastrophic reform of unemployment insurance… conflicts of interest at the top and retirement at 65 in perspective!
Don't give them a majority!
— N. Dupont-Aignan (@dupontaignan) May 16, 2022
►Read also: Elisabeth Borne appointed Prime Minister to replace Jean Castex
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France
French politics
French legislative 2022
Emmanuel Macron
John Castex
Elisabeth Borne