French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday appointed centrist leader François Bayrou as the new prime minister of France. Bayrou, the 73-year-old leader of the MoDem party, allied with Macron’s, takes over after a no-confidence vote ousted the previous government nine days prior.
“The President of the Republic has appointed Mr Francois Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government,” the French presidency said.. This marks Macron’s sixth prime minister and fourth this year alone. The previous prime minister, Michel Barnier, served only three months, becoming the shortest-serving in French history.
Bayrou’s immediate task is to form a cabinet capable of surviving a no-confidence vote in the divided parliament. He also faces the challenge of finalising the 2025 budget to stabilise the economy.
Macron and Bayrou met for nearly two hours on Friday before the announcement. Reports described the meeting as “tense.”
Bayrou has been active in French politics for many years. With no single party holding a majority in the national assembly, his experience is seen as crucial for restoring stability.
Bayrou was recently acquitted in a case involving the alleged misuse of European parliament funds.
His appointment has reportedly raised concerns among both left- and right-wing factions. Leaders of the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) had previously urged Macron to select a prime minister from their ranks. Meanwhile, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a key player in the previous government’s downfall, was not involved in recent discussions.
Apart from Bayrou, Bernard Cazeneuve, Sébastien Lecornu, and Jean-Yves Le Drian were considered potential candidates for the role. Le Drian confirmed he had declined the position, stating, “I turned it down. In two and a half years, I’ll be 80. It wouldn’t be serious.”
