After former Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s administration was overthrown by a vote of no confidence earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron nominated his centrist ally Fran ois Bayrou as the country’s new prime minister on Friday in an attempt to keep it out of political turmoil.
The 73-year-old Bayrou, who founded the Democratic Movement party, will now have to try to form a government capable of passing laws in the same sharply split parliament that united in a rare show of solidarity to overthrow Barnier on December 5.
Addressing France’s failing economy and creating a cost-cutting budget that lawmakers can approve—a challenging undertaking that contributed to Barnier’s downfall—will be his primary tasks.
Three months after Barnier was chosen by Macron, he was removed, making him the prime minister with the shortest tenure in France.
With 331 politicians backing the motion—dozens more than were needed for it to pass—far-left and far-right lawmakers united in the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament, to vote overwhelmingly against him in a no-confidence vote.
The vote was held in the midst of growing indignation over Barnier’s attempts to use a constitutional tool that is seldom used to go around parliamentary consent in order to pass a contentious 2025 budget.
Over the next few days, Bayrou is likely to present a list of ministers, but it is unclear how he intends to handle the challenging political environment that led to Barnier’s own downfall.
After the French president called a quick general election earlier this year, Macron will be hoping Bayrou will prevent a similar result and a no-confidence vote until at least July, the earliest France can hold new legislative elections.
Macron’s job was unaffected by Barnier’s removal right away, but if France’s government were to fall apart once more, his future as president would probably come under examination.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!