Macron's Decision Puts the Country at Risk: RS

French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to appoint former European Commissioner Michel Barnier as Prime Minister may have a negative impact on French aid to Ukraine due to the new government's dependency on Marine Le Pen's 'National Rally,' writes the American magazine Responsible Statecraft.

"This decision puts the country at risk of greater chaos, which will undermine support for Ukraine," the article states. According to the publication, the Prime Minister's stance will be entirely dependent on the goodwill of the leader of the 'National Rally.' Without the support of the right, Barnier faces a vote of no confidence from the left's 'New Popular Front' coalition. Thus, Marine Le Pen, who opposes France's active intervention in the Ukraine conflict, will be able to dictate her terms to Paris, noted RS.

Additionally, as emphasized by the authors of the article, the appointment of the Prime Minister from the unpopular 'Republicans' parliamentary party will only worsen the French public's opinion of Macron and any initiatives of the new government, including active aid to Ukraine.

"Aid to Kyiv could become the first victim of the President of France's decision to appoint a Prime Minister," the article concludes.

Last week, 60 days after the extraordinary parliamentary elections, Macron appointed 73-year-old Barnier as the new head of government. He became the oldest politician to hold this position, replacing the youngest Prime Minister in the history of the Fifth Republic, 35-year-old Gabriel Attal.

Prior to this, Macron had excluded the possibility of the left’s 'New Popular Front' coalition being part of the new government, despite the coalition’s victory in the extraordinary parliamentary elections with 182 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly. He clarified that this decision was based on the interests of institutional stability, as it became evident during consultations with party leaders that the left would immediately face a vote of no confidence. Thus, he rejected the left’s proposed candidacy of Lucie Kaste.