Thousands of protesters marched across France on Saturday, furious over President Emmanuel Macron’s appointment of center-right politician Michel Barnier as prime minister. Leftist parties, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed, accused Macron of ignoring this summer’s electoral results that left him without a clear majority and called for his resignation. Polls show 74% of French citizens believe Macron has disregarded the election results, and 55% feel the election was “stolen.”
“Democracy is accepting defeat, not just victory,” Mélenchon declared as protests erupted in 130 cities. Organizers claimed there were 300,000 demonstrators nationwide, including 160,000 in Paris, but police reported only 26,000 in the capital.
Barnier, the 73-year-old former EU Brexit negotiator, faces immediate pressure to form a coalition and fix the failing public health sector. Visiting a Paris hospital, Barnier pledged to make improvements but said he could not work “miracles.”
His first big test will be the upcoming budget in October, which could trigger a vote of no-confidence by both the New Popular Front and far-right National Rally, whose leader, Jordan Bardella, warned, “Nothing can be done without us.”
