Legislature: what is “technical government”, a possible solution in the absence of a majority?

What if this was the solution to avoid making France ungovernable? Although polls of voting intentions suggest a possible lack of an absolute majority in the National Assembly following legislative elections on Sunday, June 30 and July 7, Emmanuel Macron may choose a “technical” government, that is, one made up of experts not affiliated with a political party. An option never before seen under the Fifth Republic.

In France, the president traditionally appoints a prime minister from among the parliamentary majority, who then forms the government. But the latter, in the absence of a grand coalition or an absolute majority in the lower house of parliament, could be overthrown by deputies at any time during a vote of no confidence. This is partly why Jordan Bardella, president of the RN, indicated in our columns that he would resign as prime minister in the event of a relative majority.

Government of high-ranking officials and experts

“In the name of national interests, the opposition parties could agree on the creation of a technical government responsible for managing current affairs pending a new dissolution or new presidential elections,” political scientist Stéphane Roses, lecturer at the Catholic Institute of Paris and president of CAP, analyzes with Le Parisien (advice, analysis and prospects). Then the Prime Minister and his government will be depoliticized and recognized for their skills and functions. These could be, for example, senior government officials or civil society experts.

In France we have to go back to the Third Republic and President McMahon to see a similar situation. In a conflict with Republican deputies, the head of state with monarchist views dissolved the Chamber of Deputies, but found himself even more weakened politically. In November 1877, he asked the general and polytechnic Gaetan de Rochebouet to form a government. But the Chamber refused to contact the soldier and a month later secured his resignation.

Italy has faced this four times in its recent history. The last time was three years ago, when former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi took charge of the Italian Council of Ministers in a context marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision had the benefit of reassuring markets about the state of the country’s finances, but led to the rise to power of Georgia Meloni and her far-right Fratelli d’Italia party in 2022.

Admitting weakness?

In France, a depoliticized tech government would allow some high-stakes events such as the Olympics to proceed more calmly. But until when? Budget vote? New dissolution in a year? “Either the government is only concerned with current affairs and does nothing, or it implements real policies and votes on the budget,” adds Stefan Roses.

To the author of Chaos, an essay on the imagination of peoples. Interview with Arnaud Benedetti (Cerf)”, the choice of the technical option cannot be extended after the start of the school year and the new presidential elections. “Admitting weakness is too much for the president to bear. If he fails to appoint a prime minister, his entire legitimacy will be in question. He may have to resign. “An option that this Sunday was again rejected by the head of government, Gabriel Attal, assuring in our newspaper that “the president will always be president.”