President Emmanuel Macron has chosen one of his early allies, centrist politician François Bayrou, as prime minister in an attempt to stabilize political turmoil in France that has hampered his second term.
The 73-year-old's appointment came after a nearly two-hour meeting at the Elysee Palace, which was said to be tense and prompted Macron to reconsider other names at the last minute.
It also followed a year of political instability in which Macron appointed three prime ministers, a crisis that worsened when the president called and lost early elections in July.
Bayrou's predecessor, Michel Barnier, the former Brexit negotiator, was ousted last week in a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly just under three months after taking office.
Barnier's government has been voted down on next year's deficit reduction budget, a hurdle that Bayrou will now have to overcome despite not having a parliamentary majority.
“Everyone knows how difficult the task is and everyone also knows that there is a way forward that unites people rather than divides them. . . . There is a long road ahead of us,” Bayrou said on Friday afternoon shortly after his appointment.
The new prime minister, a three-time presidential candidate, combines a market-oriented economic view with support for social justice measures such as taxing the wealthy.
He also called for proportional voting to promote a culture of compromise in Parliament and to transfer more powers from Paris to the rest of the country.
But his appointment was immediately met with criticism from Macron's opponents.
Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally party, which cast the decisive votes to oust the former president, said: “Macron is a president in a shelter, and his new prime minister must take into account the new political situation.” administration.
He added: “He must accept that he does not have democratic legitimacy or a majority in the Council, so he must dialogue with all parties.”
The moderate left, whose support is crucial to neutralizing the National Front, also made clear its dissatisfaction with Bayrou's appointment.
Chloe Riedel, spokeswoman for the Socialist Party, criticized Macron for choosing an ally rather than a candidate from the left, who came first in July's parliamentary elections.
“If Bayrou wants to support us, he needs to take steps to address parts of our agenda, such as pensions or salaries,” she said.
A person close to Macron defended the choice, saying that Bayrou “has emerged in recent days as the most compatible figure… . It is best to form the national unity government called for by the President of the Republic.”
The person added: “His mission will be to engage in dialogue with all political parties.” . . To create the necessary conditions for stability and effective work.”
Uncertainty is affecting now French politics This contradicts not only Macron's first term, when he enjoyed a leadership majority, but also with a large part of the history of the Fifth Republic, which lasted 66 years, during which most governments proved relatively stable.
It has rattled markets and spooked businesses in France, slowing investment as growth slows and unemployment rises.
France is under pressure to narrow its deficit, which will reach 6 percent of national output by the end of the year – well above the European Union's limit of 3 percent of GDP.
Macron sought to pave the way for the new government through a non-aggression pact with opposition party leaders, with the exception of the extreme right and extreme left.
For the National Front to be excluded, it would need to reach an agreement with the Socialists, who hold 66 seats, perhaps the Greens, who have 38 seats, and the Communists, who have 17 seats, while not losing the right wing.
Fabien Roussel, head of the Communist Party, said that nominating a loyalist as prime minister sent “a bad signal that is not what the public wants,” adding: “They want to change the political direction, and there is little chance of achieving that now.” “.
But he added in a more conciliatory tone: “We will not automatically blame this new government, and we will judge its actions.”
A lot will depend on how greatly Pyro deviates from that MacronPro-business policies to chart his own course.
His support was key to Macron's first election in 2017, and his Democratic Movement party supports the president. But legal difficulties forced him to step down as Macron's first justice minister after only one month in office.
Bayrou and his party were accused of embezzling EU funds by using Brussels employees in national political activities. He was acquitted this year, but prosecutors appealed the ruling, raising the possibility of a retrial.
If another prime minister falls, pressure will intensify on Macron, who still has two and a half years left in his presidential term, to resign to break the political deadlock.
The president insisted he will not step down because he wants to push through further reforms and protect previous changes such as raising the retirement age and efforts to make France more attractive to investors.
In a poll conducted by pollster Elabe this week, only 6 percent of respondents said they wanted a prime minister from Macron's centrist camp, compared to 41 percent who preferred a non-political option.
But a large majority of respondents – 76 percent – said they wanted parties to reach compromises to end instability, a sign that it could be risky for the opposition to oust another government.
Macron's popularity has fallen to a record low since his election in 2017, with just 21 percent of people expressing confidence in his ability to address France's problems, according to a separate Elap poll conducted on Thursday.
Among potential prime ministerial candidates, Bayrou received the support of only 29 percent of respondents in the same poll.
Data visualization by Janina Conboy
