| French Prime Minister Michel Barnier succeeded in forming a government after long negotiations, but its days are already numbered as all French political parties are preparing for new elections. Smiles were appropriate during the first Cabinet meeting at the Élysée Palace on Monday, 23 September, but Barnier’s government carries a burden that it will find impossible to shake off. For the first time since World War II, the far-right holds the fate of the French executive in its hands. The 142 deputies from the National Rally (RN) and their allies could vote a motion of no confidence against the government during the Prime Minister’s general policy speech in front of the National Assembly on 1 October. This motion will mathematically pass if supported by the representatives of the left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front (NFP). “We are the ones who will decide if this government has a future,” said RN deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a member of the party’s national office, on France Inter on 23 September. There is no need, however, to worry just yet; Marine Le Pen and her troops have no immediate interest in playing the executioner. According to the constitution, new early legislative elections cannot be held before July 2025. They just need to wait and sharpen their weapons. “The RN doesn’t need to press the nuclear button,” an NFP deputy told me last week. “The far-right is advancing its priorities in the public debate, such as the fight against immigration, and is influencing government policy, all while relentlessly criticising the executive.” | 