Bourne has promised to limit the impact of rising energy prices despite political turmoil after Emmanuel Macron lost control of parliament in recent parliamentary elections. “We must have full control of our electricity generation and performance,” Bourne told parliament in her first speech to parliament on Wednesday, as she sought to appeal to opposition parties to avoid a parliamentary deadlock. “We must ensure our sovereignty in the face of the consequences of the war and the colossal challenges ahead… That is why I confirm to you the intention of the state to own 100% of the capital of EDF.” The French state owns an 84% stake in EDF, one of the world’s biggest power producers, but the company faces delays and budget overruns at new nuclear plants in France and Britain and corrosion problems at some of its older reactors, which have serious problems hit its share price in recent months. Macron, who was re-elected for a second term as president in April, wants massive investment in new nuclear reactors as a pillar of France’s push for carbon neutrality. The nationalization of EDF is an idea that has also been pushed recently by the left, and Borne’s speech was seen as an attempt to appeal to different corners of a deeply divided parliament. France is facing an unprecedented political crisis after Macron’s centrist party suffered heavy losses in parliamentary elections last month. The president’s centrist alliance, Ensemble, won the most seats in the national assembly, but fell about 40 seats short of the absolute majority needed to pass laws. Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally saw a historic surge and significantly increased its seats to become the largest opposition party. Hard-leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed party also increased its seats greatly and is now the largest left-wing party in a broad coalition known as Nupes, which includes the Socialists and the Greens. Bourne’s government faces an ongoing battle to pass legislation and will hope to negotiate compromises on a case-by-case basis with some opposition lawmakers. This is a sharp contrast to Macron’s top-down approach to power in his first five-year term, when he had an absolute majority in a parliament that largely rubber-stamped his plans. “Disorder and instability are not an option for France,” Bourne warned the new parliament in its acrimonious first session, where she often had to go along with shouts, jeers and shouts. “We need to give meaning back to the word compromise,” she said, promising to “approach every draft law in a spirit of dialogue” and transparency. As France enters a new era of political uncertainty, Bourne has been under pressure to articulate a political vision for France after Macron’s leadership was accused of losing its way on the domestic front in recent weeks. The president retains a leading role in France’s international politics, but no longer has a free hand on domestic goals, including his plan to raise the retirement age or overhaul the benefits system. Bourne said the first challenge was the cost of living crisis and a new package of measures would be announced this week. He said France needed to push ahead with changes to the pension system, adding that there was “no work done yet” but that reform was “necessary”. He said the French social model was a “paradox”, as one of the most generous in the world, while people work for the fewest years. She said her priorities were to help low-income families cope with rising bills and costs, free up extra resources for struggling health services and tackle inequality, including a review of disability benefits, while pushing for full employment. The government has already been criticized for pushing back “urgent” climate legislation on renewables until September. Borne insisted that the environment was a priority. Borne, 61, a former civil servant, also used her speech to tell her own personal story after criticism from some parties that she was too technocratic and low-key. Loud lawmakers fell silent and some applauded as she explained her family history, saying her father, a Jewish Resistance fighter deported to Auschwitz in 1944, “never really came back from the concentration camps.” He returned to France but killed himself when she was a child. Bourne said she was proud to be France’s second female prime minister and promised the divided lower house: “We will manage to build together.” Most new French prime ministers seek a vote of confidence after their first key political speech. But Borne did not, because it was considered too dangerous without an absolute majority. The left-wing France Unbowed tabled a motion of censure along with its Socialist, Communist and Green allies even before Borne began speaking. But the proposal, which will be voted on later this week, is unlikely to pass. It remains unclear which lawmakers will sign up to pass crucial cost-of-living crisis legislation later this month. Mélenchon said Borne’s speech “offered nothing to allow us to find compromises”. A lawmaker from the right-wing Les Républicains, seen as closer to a possible compromise with the government, called the speech “a catalog of platitudes”.
