Protesters rally in France against Barnier’s appointment as prime minister

PARIS (AP) — Thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, responding to a call from a far-left party leader who criticized as a “power grab” the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier.

The protests directly challenged President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to bypass a prime minister from the far-left bloc following a deeply dividing —and divided — legislative election result in July. Authorities did not record a huge turnout nationwide.

The left, particularly the France Unbowed party, views Barnier’s conservative background as rejecting the electorate’s will, further intensifying the EU’s second economy’s already charged political atmosphere. Saturday's demonstrators denounced Barnier’s appointment as denying democracy, echoing France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon’s fiery rhetoric from recent days.

In Paris, protesters gathered at Place de la Bastille and tensions ran high as police prepared for potential clashes. Some carried placards reading “Where is my vote?”

At the head of the Parisian procession, Melenchon spoke passionately, declaring that “the French people are in rebellion. They have entered into revolution.”

“There will be no pause, no truce. I call you to a long-term battle,” he added.

In the southwestern city of Montauban, a rally speaker told the crowd that “the people have been ignored.” Other protests took place is some 150 locations nationwide.

While Barnier was meeting with healthcare workers at Paris’ Necker Hospital for his first official visit as prime minister, opponents say the unrest in the streets is shaping his government’s future.

Barnier, who is working to assemble his Cabinet, expressed a commitment to listening to public concerns, particularly about France’s public services.

Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), warned that Barnier was “under surveillance” by his party as well. Bardella, speaking at the Chalons-en-Champagne fair, called for the prime minister to include his party's priorities in his agenda, particularly regarding national security and immigration.

Barnier, 73, is the oldest of the 26 prime ministers that have served modern France’s Fifth Republic. He replaces the youngest, Gabriel Attal, who was 34 when he was appointed just eight months ago.

Attal was forced to resign after Macron’s centrist government performed poorly in the July snap legislative elections. Macron called the election in the hopes of securing a clear mandate, but it instead produced a hung parliament, leaving the president without a legislative majority and plunging his administration into turmoil.

Attal was also France’s first openly gay prime minister. French media and some of Macron’s opponents, who immediately criticized Barnier’s appointment, quickly dug up that, when serving in parliament in 1981, the new prime minister had been among 155 lawmakers who voted against a law that decriminalized homosexuality.

Though Barnier brings five decades of political experience, his appointment offers no guarantee of resolving the crisis. His challenge is immense: He must form a government that can navigate a fractured National Assembly, where the political spectrum is deeply divided between the far left, far right, and Macron’s weakened centrist bloc. The outcome of the snap poll, far from providing clarity, has only served to destabilize both the country and Macron’s grip on power.

The president’s decision to turn to Barnier, a seasoned political operator with deep ties to the European Union, is seen as an attempt to bring stability to French politics. And Barnier, who gained prominence as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has faced daunting tasks before.

Critics say Macron, elected on the promise of a break from the old political order, now finds himself battling the instability he once promised to overcome.

A demonstrator holds a placard which reads 'Emmanuel it's time to abdicate' during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A demonstrator holds a poster which reads 'Macron treason resignation' during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Demonstrators participate in a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A demonstrator holds a poster featuring French President Emmanuel Macron during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Demonstrators, one displaying French flag, gather under the statue of Marianne, a symbol of the French Republic, during a protest demonstration responding to a call from the far-left party leader who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A demonstrator holds a poster which reads 'Macron treason resignation' during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A demonstrator holds a poster which reads 'the monarchs were beheaded' during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A demonstrator, on right, holds a placard which reads 'don't touch my democracy' during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Demonstrators display a banner which reads 'democracy against austerity' during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Demonstrators participate a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest, responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, center, who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, participates in a protest demonstration in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, center, who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, gestures as he participates in a protest demonstration in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

People, some carrying placards, participate in a protest demonstration responding to a call from the far-left party who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, center, who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier, gestures as he participates in a protest demonstration in Paris, France, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical storm conditions were expected along a stretch of the southeastern U.S. coast with a system bringing gusty winds, heavy rain and potential flooding, forecasters said Monday.

The storm system was expected to reach the South Carolina coast Monday afternoon and then move inland across the Carolinas from Monday night through Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Strong winds were approaching the coast Monday morning and were expected to spread onshore.

The system didn't have an official name yet, and forecasters weren't sure if Potential Tropical Cyclone No. 8 would ever organize enough to be named Helene.

But no matter its classification, the storm prompted school closings, including Coastal Carolina University, and flooded the streets south of Wilmington, North Carolina, with more than a foot (30 centimeters) of rain while nearby Wrightsville Beach had a wind gust of 65 mph (105 kph).

A tropical storm warning was in effect from the South Santee River north of Charleston, South Carolina, northward to Ocracoke Inlet, near the southernmost extreme of North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Late Monday morning, the low-pressure system was centered about 95 miles (150 kilometers) east of Charleston and about 70 miles (115 kilometers) south of Cape Fear, North Carolina. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was moving to the north-northwest at 5 mph (7 kph), forecasters said.

The system still had a chance of becoming a tropical or subtropical storm, but forecasters said those chances are decreasing because it was becoming less organized.

That means the strongest winds in the storm are in outer rain bands instead of near the center, said Carl Morgan, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's office in Wilmington.

“There are still strong winds out there. They just not concentrating near a center,” Morgan said.

Areas along the coast are already experiencing higher water levels thanks to King Tides this week while the moon is the closest to Earth in its orbit. Charleston was not predicting major flooding, but officials warned residents to be ready in case heavy rain came at high tide.

In an updated hurricane outlook last month the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was still predicting a highly active Atlantic hurricane season thanks to near-record sea surface temperatures and the possibility of La Nina. Emergency management officials have urged people to stay prepared.

Maximum winds were expected to decrease as the low approached the coast, but tropical storm-force winds were still expected within the warning areas. The system will likely dissipate over the Carolinas by late Wednesday, forecasters said.

The storm was expected to dump 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain in northeast South Carolina into southeast North Carolina and up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in isolated spots, with smaller amounts expected across the remainder of North Carolina through Tuesday, according to forecasters.

Over much of Virginia, 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 8 centimeters) of rainfall, with locally higher amounts, were expected from Monday night through Wednesday. The hurricane center predicted the rainfall could lead to isolated and scattered flash and urban flooding, as well as minor river flooding.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Gordon weakened to a depression as it swirls through open ocean waters. Gordon could either dissolve in upcoming days or strengthen back into a tropical storm, forecasters said.

This image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows tropical storm conditions along a stretch of the U.S. Southeast seacoast, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (NOAA via AP)