French President Emmanuel Macron appointed centrist leader François Bayrou as France’s new Prime Minister, tasked with helping to steady France’s political and economic fortunes. France’s first political surprise of 2022 came in the appointment of Bayrou, 73, head of the MoDem group, an ally of Macron’s party, after Michel Barnier was ousted with a historic no confidence vote last week.
Barnier had been removed as France’s shortest-serving Prime Minister, serving only three months. In 2024, Bayrou is Macron’s fourth prime minister and he must now negotiate the creation of a cabinet that can survive a no confidence vote in a parliament split apart. He also has to negotiate the 2025 austerity budget to put France’s economy on the right path.
It came after tense talks between Macron and Bayrou, a sign of how dire the challenge will be. At Matignon, the French Prime Minister’s official residence, there is to be a ceremonial hand over of power between Barnier and Bayrou.
Bayrou’s appointment follows summer snap parliamentary elections that left the lower house divided, with no party or bloc holding a majority. A left-wing New Popular Front (NFP), a coalition of Socialists, Communists and Greens, proved the big winner with an overall score of 26.8 percent, but Marine Le Pen’s far right party was also a factor in its collapse.
But President Macron resisted calls from NFP leaders for him to appoint a left alignment prime minister and chose Bayrou instead, seeking to ease him through the political deadlock. The delay to the appointment, as Macron had done with a self-imposed 48-hour deadline, reflected the complexity of the situation.
Bayrou has a major test ahead as he prepares to present his cabinet and negotiate France through stormy waters between passions and money, with divisions in politics and the economy.
