Voices from the Arab press: Will Macron pick a Muslim to head the new gov't?

WILL MACRON PICK A MUSLIM OF MOROCCAN ORIGIN TO HEAD NEW GOVERNMENT?

An-Nahar, Lebanon, August 22

French President Emmanuel Macron is consulting with the heads of French parties and parliamentary groups to decide on appointing a new prime minister who can secure broad support in parliament. This move comes in response to the recent legislative elections that resulted in a fragmented political landscape, with no single party or alliance achieving an outright majority of 289 out of 577 seats. Neither the leftist New Popular Front nor the Republicans or Marine Le Pen’s National Rally managed to gain a dominant position. The Ensemble block, under Macron’s umbrella, also failed to clinch a clear majority. Through these consultations, Macron aims to form the largest possible majority, ensuring the appointment of a prime minister capable of managing the country without constant disruptions.

The New Popular Front holds the most seats in parliament but lacks internal cohesion, as the Socialists and La France Insoumise frequently clash on various issues. The Front has proposed Lucie Castets, an official in the Paris municipality, but Macron opposes her appointment. In a controversial move, officials in the French parliament raised the possibility of invoking Article 68 of the Constitution to dismiss President Macron without consulting his allies, causing further discord. This maneuver appeared designed to prevent Castets’ appointment.

Amid these tensions, two new potential candidates for the premiership have emerged: Bernard Cazeneuve and Xavier Bertrand. Cazeneuve, a respected figure within socialist circles and among some Republicans, served as both prime minister and interior minister under former President François Hollande. He is seen as a unifying figure opposed to La France Insoumise. Bertrand, a successful minister under former President Nicolas Sarkozy, expressed readiness to accept the premiership, but his candidacy faces strong opposition from Republican leader Laurent Wauquiez, making it difficult for him to gain leftist support.

A surprising third candidate is Karim Bouamrane, the mayor of Seine-Saint-Denis. Of Moroccan origin and a self-described secular socialist, Bouamrane gained prominence after his suburb successfully hosted participants in the Olympic Games. Dubbed “the Obama of Seine” by German newspaper Die Welt, Bouamrane also garnered attention in Le Figaro Magazine and Le Monde, which highlighted his opposition to far-left party La France Insoumise (The Rebellious France). Despite his recent rise to fame, he remains relatively unknown on the national stage. As one French diplomat remarked, “It’s the moment of the unknown. Macron often likes to surprise everyone with unexpected names,” recalling his appointment of Jean Castex to the position of prime minister. Other names in circulation include former Socialist Party minister Arnaud Montebourg, known for his role as foreign trade minister under then-president Francois Hollande, and Michel Barnier, a former European commissioner and right-wing minister. Macron is meticulously weighing his options and consulting extensively before deciding, especially with the upcoming budget discussions and vote on October 1. While Cazeneuve appears to be a strong contender who could garner broad support, the president’s final choice remains unpredictable.– Randa Takieddine

THE AGREEMENTS THAT LOST PALESTINE

Al Qabas, Kuwait, August 22

On February 8, 2007, after years of intense conflict and bloodshed among Palestinians, the two rival factions – Fatah and Hamas – agreed to sign the Mecca Agreement. This historic accord was brokered under the auspices of the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Financial support was extended to ensure the effective implementation of the agreement. Key participants in these talks included Mahmoud Abbas and Mohammed Dahlan from Fatah, and Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal from Hamas. Four pivotal agreements emerged from these discussions. The first: halting and preventing further bloodshed among Palestinians and unifying the stance against occupation through dialogue to resolve political differences. Second: forming a Palestinian unity government. Third: revitalizing and reforming the Palestine Liberation Organization, and accelerating the efforts of the Preparatory Committee in line with the Cairo and Damascus agreements. And fourth: upholding the principle of political partnership based on existing Palestinian Authority laws, emphasizing political pluralism.

Despite the prevailing optimism at the conference and the robust support from sponsor parties, tensions between Fatah and Hamas persisted. Merely weeks later, Hamas staged a coup against the Palestinian Authority and seized control of the Gaza Strip, rendering the Mecca Agreement seemingly ineffective. In 2009, Egyptian mediation attempted to reconcile the factions, giving rise to the Egyptian Paper, followed by the Cairo Agreement in 2011. Yet, these efforts too yielded no meaningful results. The Doha Agreement in 2012, facilitated by the former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, sought to accelerate Palestinian national reconciliation. This was succeeded by the Beach Camp Agreement in 2014, so named for the dialogue sessions held at Ismail Haniyeh’s residence in Gaza’s Beach Camp. The negotiators agreed to form a Palestinian consensus government and conduct elections within six months, a promise that fell through. Accusations continued to be exchanged between the factions, perpetuating the division.

In October 2017, the Cairo Agreement emerged yet again, and both parties agreed to empower the Government of National Accord, led by Rami Hamdallah, to assume full responsibilities in Gaza. They also agreed that the Presidential Guard would oversee the crossings and the Rafah border with Egypt. However, the division remained. And now, in 2024, driven by urgency in light of the ongoing atrocities by the Israeli military and the relentless war on Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the Palestinian factions have turned their hopes to Beijing. They are seeking to sign yet another agreement, the Beijing Declaration, hoping this agreement will finally succeed where others failed. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that skepticism abounds regarding the Beijing Declaration. The Mecca Agreement, signed at the holiest site on Earth, was not honored. Neither were the 13 subsequent agreements over the years. Will the Beijing Agreement be any different, especially if it is written in Chinese, adding to the bewilderment? As always, only time will tell. – Faisal Mohammed bin Sabt

Translated by Asaf Zilberfarb. All assertions, opinions, facts, and information presented in these articles are the sole responsibility of their respective authors and are not necessarily those of The Media Line, which assumes no responsibility for their content.