MEP Pascal Canfin quits Macron’s party leadership over ‘profound disagreement’

Heavyweight MEP Pascal Canfin is abandoning his leadership role in Emmanuel Macron’s political party over the way the French president handled this summer’s domestic political turmoil.

In a fiery letter published on X, Canfin said he was in “profound disagreement” with Macron and his party, Renaissance, over Macron’s political choices following the results of this summer’s snap election. He said the current political situation is proof of the “toxic consequences of this strategy.”

Canfin went on to accuse Macron of emboldening the National Rally by naming former Brexit negotiator and conservative grandee Michel Barnier prime minister, as he needs the far-right party’s tacit support to keep his government from collapsing.

“Renaissance is supporting a largely right-wing government whose survival depends on good will of National Rally,” Canfin said. He said he would remain as part of the party’s group in the European Parliament.

Canfin was one of the few Renaissance officials who publicly urged Macron to work with the pan-left New Popular Front coalition to try to form a government after it won the most seats of any group during France’s summer snap election. Macron called the unexpected vote after the National Rally’s dominant performance in European election in June.

The French president, however, refused to appoint a left-wing prime minister, arguing that because the New Popular Front did not have an absolute majority, a leftist would not be able to survive a no-confidence vote. It didn’t help their case that left had also vowed to undo some of Macron’s most important legacy achievements, including his decision to raise the retirement age.

Weeks before Barnier’s appointment was announced, Canfin warned in an interview with Le Monde that if Macron tapped a prime minister from the right, he or she would “owe their survival” to the National Rally.