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6/25/17

France’s Socialists choose to oppose Macron government – by Nicholas Vinocur

France’s Socialist Party will not vote in favor of a motion of confidence in Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s government in early July, its leadership decided, placing it clearly in the opposition.

Philippe will ask parliament to vote for a motion of confidence in his government as he presents his general roadmap for reform on July 4.

But the Socialist Party, which was trounced in legislative elections and has fewer than 40 seats in parliament, will vote to oppose the measure, its members decided late Saturday, according to Le Monde.

The move confirms that President Emmanuel Macron, who has a broad majority in parliament, will face opposition from his former Socialist Party in addition to hardliners in the conservative Les Républicains (LR) party, far-left MPs from Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Front.

One LR faction, which calls itself “the Constructives,” will take a more conciliatory approach.

No opposition group has enough seats to block Macron’s reform plans, which will start with a potentially explosive overhaul of hiring and firing rules. Macron is still well in the honeymoon phase of his presidency, with a poll by Ifop published Sunday showing that 64 percent of the French are happy with his debut.

But left-wing forces spearheaded by Mélenchon are likely to oppose the president’s reform agenda outside of parliament, with street protests feared in September.

Read more: France’s Socialists choose to oppose Macron government – POLITICO

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