The French government is back in action after a summer break, ahead of what is predicted to be a tense autumn, with Emmanuel Macron's ruling party lacking an absolute majority in parliament to pass key legislation.
Macron will preside a council of ministers on Wednesday after a three week break at the Brégançon fort, the French presidential summer palace in the Var department, during which time France was hit with record-breaking forest fires, drought across the country and deadly storms in Corsica.
Ahead of the meeting, Macron had dinner with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne Tuesday evening, to set the agenda for the rentrée, or return to work, which is seen as the start of the year in France.
A top issue is energy, and the “general mobilisation on energy sobriety", according to the Elysée,
On Friday, during a commemoration of the liberation of Provence, Macron denounced Russia's "brutal" attack on Ukraine, and called on French people to "accept to pay the price of our freedom” in the face of rising energy costs.
Borne is expected to make a speech on energy sobriety at the annual Medef managers' union meeting at the end of August.
A government seminar at the end the month will focus notably on the environment, and Macron has asked lawmakers to lay out a detailed month-by-month energy transition planning.
Macron, whose party failed to win an absolute majority in the National Assembly in elections in June, will face an energised opposition. The left pushed back against emergency spending power legislation that was passed in July with the support of the right and far right.
The opposition is determined to block the passage of the 2023 budget and is ready to debate issues such as unemployment insurance, pensions or immigration reform.
For the budget, the presidency has not ruled out resorting to article 49.3 of the constitution, which would allow the government to pass legislation without holding a vote in parliament.
(with AFP)
