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Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27872, 21 January 1956, Page 9

NEXT FRENCH MINISTRY

Mollet Favoured As Premier

(Rec. 10 p.m.) PARIS, January 20. The new French National Assembly was officially inaugurated yesterday, but its real work will probably start next Monday. By then, commissions formed by members of the Assembly will have examined and validated the elections of at least half the members. There have been many unofficial talks between groups of Socialist and Popular Republican deputies. It is believed that these talks are preparing the way for a reconciliation between the two parties. As neither group has an independent majority, some kind of agreement will be needed to avert a complete hold-up in the Government. Mr Pinay’s Conservatives are in favour of a government of National Union. This would set up a coalition Cabinet. But the leaders of the Republican Front Alliance, Mr Guy Mollet and Mr Mendes-France, have so far refused to entertain such an arrangement. Their theory is that the parties represented in the outgoing Government of Mr Faure were repudiated by the voters and must therefore now give up power. The Government parties have about 200 representatives in this Assembly. The Republican Front Alliance has about 160.

The new theory of Parliamentary government put forward by Mr Mollet and Mr Mendes-France that power should be wielded by the small rather than the larger group, is not accepted by the Centre-Right parties. But nevertheless seem willing to allow this theory to be put into practice .at the present moment and for a short time. Mr Mollet therefore still remains the favourite candidate for the next Premiership. If he should form the next government, it is believed that Mr Mendes-France would become master of all the Ministries dealing with the economic and industrial life of the country, including the Ministry of Finance.