France’s hard-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party has threatened to launch impeachment proceedings against President Emmanuel Macron.
The party alleges Macron has been disregarding the will of the people by refusing to appoint their candidate Lucie Castets as prime minister following the recent national election results.
Party leaders Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Mathilde Panot, and Manuel Bompard, argued in a statement published on August 18 in La Tribune du Dimanche that Macron’s actions represented “an abuse of power,” one that could trigger Article 68 of the French Constitution.
That article allows for the removal of a president who fails in his duties.
“It is clear that the refusal to take note of a legislative election and the decision to ignore it constitute a reprehensible breach of the elementary requirements of the presidential mandate,” LFI leaders asserted.
“The President of the Republic is not a monarch with a suspensive right of veto over the outcome of a democratic vote,” they warned.
LFI’s stance has stirred controversy within the broader left-wing coalition.
Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party, has distanced himself from the threat, emphasising the initiative was being pushed by LFI alone.
“This platform is signed only by the leaders of LFI. It only commits their movement. The response to the nomination of a PM who would not be in accordance with republican tradition is censorship,” he said.
Faure pointed out that even if LFI were to pursue impeachment, the process would be extremely complex.
“Beyond what anyone may think of the initiative, impeachment is impracticable. It requires a two-thirds majority in both assemblies,” he noted.
Cette tribune n’est signée que par les dirigeants de LFI. Elle n’engage que leur mouvement. La réponse à une nomination d’un PM qui ne serait pas conforme à la tradition républicaine, est la censure. https://t.co/1hq3x4K9kR
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) August 18, 2024
A two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate is near-impossible given the current political landscape.
Many saw the move as a strategic ploy by LFI to apply pressure on Macron ahead of upcoming political consultations on August 23, potentially setting the stage for a significant political showdown.
On August 16, Castets expressed her eagerness for a political shift, declaring to the press: “I can’t wait for the cohabitation to begin.”
She emphasised the importance of respecting election results, warning that a failure to do so would erode trust in France’s institutions.
While the threat of impeachment may add to the pressure on the President, the practicality of such an undertaking remains highly questionable.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will decide who will become France’s next prime minister after meeting party leaders and the heads of the country’s parliamentary groups next week. https://t.co/zeRe3GyikO
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 16, 2024
