France’s Macron Appoints Bayrou as Prime Minister Amidst Political Crisis in Country
French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed François Bayrou as the country’s new prime minister, a move aimed at navigating the deeply fractured political landscape that led to the downfall of Michel Barnier’s government last week, Bloomberg reports.
Bayrou, a long-time centrist ally of Macron, faces the monumental task of forging compromises across the political spectrum to avoid a similar fate.
Barnier’s government collapsed after a surprising alliance between far-right leader Marine Le Pen and a left-wing coalition ousted him during a parliamentary vote on a stringent budget. This unprecedented situation, fueled by Macron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June, leaves the president with limited influence over lawmakers. The lower house is now split into three fiercely competing blocs: the leftist New Popular Front, a diminished Macron-supporting center, and Le Pen’s expanded nationalist group.
“From today, a new era must begin,” Macron declared in a national address. “We must all act for France and build compromises.”
Bayrou, currently the high commissioner of government planning, is a veteran politician with a history of presidential bids. His key to success lies in securing support from both the center-left and center-right to prevent another vote of no confidence. This will likely require delicate negotiations with the New Popular Front, aiming to peel away more moderate Socialists from their alliance with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s far-left France Unbowed.
While Macron has held preliminary talks with Socialists and Greens, the path to stability remains uncertain. Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure has already expressed skepticism, stating on BFM TV that Bayrou’s close ties to Macron make him an unacceptable choice.
Bayrou’s past relationship with Le Pen – notably assisting her in securing the necessary endorsements for the 2022 presidential election – could prove to be a double-edged sword. While it might offer some initial goodwill, Le Pen’s previous swift about-face with Barnier serves as a stark warning.
The immediate challenge for Bayrou is passing emergency legislation to prevent a government shutdown on January 1st. While opposition groups have indicated support for this interim measure, the long-term budget remains a major point of contention. Le Pen has suggested a more gradual deficit reduction than the ambitious 60 billion euro cuts initially proposed by Barnier.
The new government faces immense pressure to avoid a repeat of the recent political turmoil which has already triggered temporary selloffs of French assets and driven up borrowing costs to levels comparable to Greece
