France's Le Pen calls for referendum to break political deadlock

Far-right leader says it would include a direct vote on key issues such as immigration, health care and security

Marine Le Pen at her parliamentary headquarters in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, on September 8. AFP

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen urged President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday to hold a referendum on key issues, suggesting it will help to break the current political deadlock facing the government.

Mr Macron appointed centre-right Michel Barnier as Prime Minister last week in a bid to move forward after June-July snap elections that resulted in a hung parliament.

However, analysts predict an upcoming period of instability for the country as Mr Barnier's hold on power seen as fragile and dependent on support from Ms Le Pen's Eurosceptic, anti-immigration National Rally (RN), which is the largest single party in the new National Assembly.

Marine Le Pen through the years – in pictures

French far-right politician and president of the National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen, with his wife Pierrette Lalanne and daughter Marine Le Pen, attend a demonstration in Paris in September 1982. All photos: Getty Images

Jean-Marie Le Pen with his daughters Yann, Marine and Marie-Caroline in Saint-Cloud, France, in 1986.

Jean-Marie Le Pen with daughter Marine after the first round of voting in the 1995 French presidential election.

Marine Le Pen salutes party members, with her father to the right, as she is named Front National's new leader at a party conference in January 2011.

Marine Le Pen delivers a speech during the party's annual celebration of Joan of Arc in May 2011 in Paris.

Marine Le Pen after giving a speech during the far-right party's May Day demonstration in Paris in 2012.

Marine Le Pen votes during her party's congress in March 2018 at the Grand Palais in Lille.

Marine Le Pen and former US president Donald Trump's adviser, Steve Bannon, give a joint press conference at the Front National party's annual congress in March 2018.

Marine Le Pen at a meeting of populist far-right party leaders at Wenceslas Square in Prague, Czech Republic, in April 2019.

Marine Le Pen launches her presidential campaign in Reims, France, in February.

Marine Le Pen poses with supporters as she leaves a polling station in Henin-Beaumont after casting her ballot for the second round of the presidential elections.

The New Popular Front left-wing coalition, which emerged as France's largest political bloc after the elections, although well short of an overall majority, is also piling pressure on Mr Barnier.

More than 100,000 left-wing demonstrators rallied across France on Saturday to protest against his nomination and denounce Mr Macron's “power grab”.

On Sunday, Ms Le Pen urged Mr Macron to conduct a referendum on key issues such as immigration, health care and security to give the people a direct vote. The RN “will unreservedly support any approach aimed at giving people the power to decide directly”, Ms Le Pen said, speaking in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont, the far-right's stronghold.

“Emmanuel Macron himself, in the chaos he has created, has levers to keep our democracy live,” she added.

To prevent the RN from having an absolute majority and forming a government, about 200 candidates stood down ahead of the final round of the snap polls in July to avoid splintering the anti-RN vote, sparking the far-right's outrage.

Ms Le Pen indicated she would watch Mr Barnier's every move.

“If, in the coming weeks, the French are once again forgotten or mistreated, we will not hesitate to censure the government,” she added.

Speaking to reporters, Ms Le Pen, 56, also said she expected France to hold new legislative elections “within a year”. “This is good because I think that France needs a clear majority,” she said.

The left-wing coalition has also vowed to topple Mr Barnier with a no-confidence motion.

The alliance wanted Lucie Castets, a 37-year-old economist, to become prime minister, but Mr Macron quashed that idea, arguing that she would not survive a confidence vote.

French far-right leads after election first round – in pictures

A demonstration in Place de la Republique follows the announcement of results of the first round of French parliamentary elections in Paris on July 1. Bloomberg

Marine Le Pen, candidate for the far-right National Rally party, with supporters in Paris. EPA

Thousands of people gather at a rally for the left-leaning New Popular Front alliance at Place de la Republique in Paris on July 1. EPA

A barricade burns in Paris as election results suggest the far-right National Rally has a first round advantage from French voters. Reuters

Veteran politician Jean Luc Melenchon addresses the New Popular Front rally at Place de la Republique in Paris. EPA

Police keep watch as protesters demonstrate against the far-right National Rally party in Paris. Reuters

Supporters of the left-wing alliance watch results in Nantes, Upper Brittany. AFP

Protesters attend a demonstration against the National Rally in Paris. Reuters

Fireworks are set off during a demonstration in Paris on July 1. Reuters

Firefighters in Paris respond to a call-out. Reuters

Demonstrators hold French flags and Union Populaire Française flags in support of the New Popular Front alliance as they gather to protest against the far-right National Rally in Paris. Reuters

France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal arrives to give a speech following the announcement of the results in Paris. AFP

In Nantes, a demonstrator shoots fireworks towards police. AFP

Mr Barnier, who is working to form a government, held consultations with some of the country's key political players over the weekend. On Sunday, he met former prime minister Edouard Philippe, who has said he would seek to succeed Mr Macron in 2027, and Francois Bayrou, a centrist.

The French public are largely satisfied with Mr Macron's choice of prime minister, but believe he will not last long in his new post, according to a poll released on Sunday.

Fifty-two per cent of people polled said they were satisfied with the appointment of Mr Barnier, according to the Ifop poll for the Journal du Dimanche. By comparison, 53 per cent of respondents approved the nomination of Mr Barnier's predecessor, Gabriel Attal, when he was appointed prime minister in early January, becoming France's youngest-ever premier at 34.

According to the poll, a majority of respondents see Mr Barnier, the oldest Prime Minister in the history of modern France, as competent (62 per cent), open to dialogue (61 per cent) and likeable (60 per cent).

However, 74 per cent of respondents polled believe he would not last long in the post. Ifop polled 950 adults online on September 5-6. The margin of error was up to 3.1 points.