French government resigns

(Patria) - French centrist Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and his government resigned yesterday, but will temporarily remain in office until a new government is appointed.

The interim government will handle day-to-day affairs in the eurozone's second-largest economy, but cannot propose new laws to parliament or implement major changes, experts say.

Its role will include ensuring that the Olympic Games, which begin on July 26, run smoothly.

- Handling day-to-day affairs means implementing measures that have already been decided and managing emergencies that arise. Nothing more, nothing less.

The outgoing government is stripped of all its powers. This completely, and quite logically, removes any possibility of political action - says Mathieu Disant, a law professor at Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

Interim governments have existed in France before, but none have lasted longer than a few days.

There is no specific limit to how long it can act as an acting government, and parliament cannot force it to resign.

Strict rules on the separation of powers usually do not allow ministers in France to be members of parliament at the same time.

Nevertheless, their resignations, even if they remain in the interim government, will allow Attal and other government members to sit in parliament and participate in the election of the assembly president when it convenes on Thursday, experts say.