The newly appointed French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has expressed that reducing France’s debt is not only a political priority but also a moral duty.”The deficit and the debt create moral dilemmas,” Mr. Bayrou articulated during his inaugural address.
Before this announcement, French President Emmanuel Macron designated Mr. Bayrou as the new prime minister, entrusting him with the formidable task of steering France out of a prolonged political crisis.
Mr. Bayrou, aged 73 and the leader of the MoDem group allied to Mr. Macron’s party, was appointed just nine days following the ouster of Michel Barnier’s government by parliament in an unprecedented no-confidence vote, which stemmed from a deadlock over an austerity budget.
He becomes the sixth prime minister under Mr. Macron’s leadership after last week’s removal of Mr. Barnier, who held the record for France’s shortest-serving prime minister, lasting only three months.
Additionally, Mr. Bayrou is Mr. Macron’s fourth prime minister of the year 2024.
One of Mr. Bayrou’s immediate challenges will be assembling a cabinet capable of withstanding a no-confidence vote in a severely polarized parliament, as well as negotiating a 2025 budget to mitigate economic instability.
The announcement came after President Macron engaged in nearly two hours of discussions with Mr. Bayrou today. BFMTV reported that the dialogue was “tense.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Michel Barnier has officially transferred power to Mr. Bayrou during a ceremony held in Paris.
Former French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is seen with his successor Francois Bayrou.
Handover ceremony
Prior to the ceremony, a red carpet was laid out, and microphones were set up in the courtyard of the Matignon, the official residence of the French government.
The new cabinet is expected to be announced at a later date.
President Macron is confronted with the intricate political landscape that emerged from the summer’s snap parliamentary elections—securing a government that can survive a no-confidence vote in a fiercely divided lower house where no single party or coalition holds a majority.
The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP), established to prevent far-right ascension, became the largest faction in the National Assembly after these elections.
Leaders of the NFP coalition, which includes the Socialists, Communists, and Greens, have insisted on Mr. Macron appointing a prime minister from within their ranks.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who turned out to be a significant player in ousting the government following the elections, has not participated in the latest discussions.
There had been speculation that Mr. Macron would announce Mr. Barnier’s successor during a nationwide address last week, following the collaboration of the hard left and far-right to dismantle the premier’s administration.
However, in a sign of ongoing political deadlock, Mr. Macron did not reveal Mr. Barnier’s successor at that time, missing a 48-hour deadline promised during a meeting of party leaders on Tuesday.
An aide to Mr. Macron indicated yesterday that the announcement regarding the new prime minister would be released this morning.
Francois Bayrou and Emmanuel Macron are pictured together in 2017.
‘Stuck’
The selection of Mr. Bayrou has sparked criticism from the left, skeptical of the continuation of the president’s policies, and from the right, where he is not favored by influential former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Other figures considered for the premiership included former Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu—known for his loyalty to Macron—and former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Mr. Le Drian stated yesterday that he had declined the position.
“I turned it down,” he mentioned in an interview with Le Penthievre, a regional weekly. “In two and a half years, I’ll be 80; it wouldn’t be responsible.”
According to opinion polls, the public appears weary of the ongoing crisis, with over two-thirds of those surveyed in an Elabe poll published on Wednesday indicating their desire for politicians to come to an agreement to stabilize a new government.
Each of Mr. Macron’s prime ministers has, on average, spent less time in office than their predecessors, and there is no assurance that the new prime minister will defy this trend.
In an IFOP poll, Ms. Le Pen garnered 35% support in a potential first round of a future presidential election, significantly ahead of any likely challenger.
In a pivotal moment, Ms. Le Pen is set to face the verdict in an embezzlement trial on March 31, 2025, on charges she denies.
Should she be convicted, it could jeopardize her opportunity to run in the 2027 elections, impacting her best chance yet of claiming the Elysee Palace.
France’s new prime minister confronts significant challenges ahead.
