Late night, Manuel? French PM struggles to stay awake as Socialist divide deepens
A SHATTERED-LOOKING Manuel Valls could barely keep his eyes open in one of the most important meetings of his Government yesterday, as his spat with Hollande showed no signs of improvement.
Manuel Valls was pictured struggling to stay awake as his government took questions in parliament
The yawning Prime Minister looked in danger of nodding off in the middle of the French version of Prime Minister’s Questions - Questions to the Government.
Mr Valls rubbed his eyes, yawned and pulled at his forehead as the government updated parliament and fielded enquiries, during the session at the French National Assembly on November 30.
French President Manuel Valls was pictured looking tired and stressed
Mr Valls is currently at the centre of a dramatic socialist divide in his country as the left-wing politician revealed cracks in his relationship with President Francois Hollande.
A row between the pair has threatened to wreck upcoming presidential primary after Mr Valls hinted in a Journal du Dimanche interview that he might run in the primary – even if Mr Hollande also put his name forward.
The spat is diving the party at a time they are supposed to be focused on preparing for an election.
The government’s official spokesman Stéphane Le Foll, who also serves as agriculture minister and is a long-time ally of Mr Hollande, reportedly asked the two men to “have a frank explanation” of their differences.
Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem urged the two to “talk to one another”.
Fillon wins conservative candidacy for French election
Valls was yawning as opposition and ruling party candidates put questions to the government
Conservative François Fillon for Les Républicains rocked the socialists with his resounding victory at the successful primary.
The presidential election will be held in April 2017 but the socialists appear to be in disarray.
Socialists in Europe are also in disarray following the shock resignation of Martin Schulz from his position as president of the European Parliament.
Mr Schulz currently holds office in the European Union Parliament under a power-sharing deal between the Socialists and Democrats group and the centre-right European People’s Party, in a role he previously suggested he would like to retain.
Valls was jeered earlier this year as he attended a memorial to remember victims killed during the lorry rampage in Nice on the city’s promenade.
Valls looked as though he had been missing sleep at the French National Assembly
Despite promises to being safety to France the president’s appearance upset mourners.
Boos broke out and the crowd shouted at Manuel Valls when he arrived at the Monument du Centenaire ahead of a minute’s silence.
Opposition leader Nicolas Sarkozy had earlier accused the government of failing to protect French citizens.