French politician Ségolène Royal announces she is ‘available’ to be prime minister

Former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal has stated she is ‘available’ to take the position of French prime minister, if the current political limbo continues. 

Ms Royal, who was the Socialist Party candidate for the 2007 presidential elections, made the comments on Thursday (August 29) in a radio interview with French media outlet LCI. 

“I am not a candidate, there is no candidacy, but yes, I am available to try to form a government of republican union,” she said. 

France is set for more political stalemate in the coming days, with president Emmanuel Macron confirming he would not appoint the candidate of the left-wing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) as prime minister, despite the alliance winning the most seats. 

Read more: President Macron rejects left-wing coalition's nomination for French PM

During the interview, Ms Royal said her ‘three priorities’ as prime minister would be to focus on improving justice in social, economic, and security sectors, create more opportunities for young people, and to restoring public finances (rétablissement des comptes publics), an issue she says “other candidates have not touched upon.” 

Is Ms Royal a genuine option for PM? 

The comments from the former presidential candidate may come as a surprise to some. 

She was involved in politics for many years in the French Socialist Party, serving as Minister of Ecology between 2014 and 2017, holding various roles before then.

The presidency of Emmanuel Macron began later that year, and she was given the role of French ambassador for the Arctic and Antarctic poles, although was later removed from the post.

Ms Royal has spent many years out of the political limelight, and may be viewed as an experienced option, who has little political ambition and will take the role for a short amount of time until a more sustainable solution can be found. 

She is also likely to be accepted by MPs across a wider spectrum than many other potential candidates.

Despite being a member of the Socialist Party, Ms Royal always belonged to its more central wing, and was more focused on environmental social issues – largely for children and families – than economic policy. 

Her ‘three priorities’ seem to confirm this is still her main focus.

She would have a good chance of being accepted as a legitimate candidate by MPs in Macron’s centrist coalition, and is currently not directly affiliated to the Socialist Party.

However, during her tenure as ambassador for the poles, she frequently criticised president Macron, particularly his plans to reform pensions, and was embroiled in an expenses scandal.

Her appointment may also convince the Greens and Socialist Party to peel off from the NFP and join a broad ‘republican union’ coalition from the centre-left to right wing, that the president seems eager to form, and what Ms Royal hinted at.

Read more: New French government: five possible scenarios after Macron rejects PM choice

Ms Royal stressed however, that she had not been in contact with the president, and there were no plans for her to be appointed.