President Emmanuel Macron has named centrist leader François Bayrou as France’s next prime minister, in a bid to end months of political turmoil.
A Macron ally, Bayrou is a mayor from the southwest and leads the MoDem party. Ahead of the announcement, the two men spent almost two hours in talks described as tense by French media.
The president’s task is now to ensure Bayrou lasts longer than his predecessor. Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was ousted by MPs nine days ago.
Macron is half-way through his second term as president and Bayrou will be his fourth prime minister this year. French politics has been deadlocked ever since Macron called snap parliamentary elections during the summer.
An opinion poll for BFMTV on Thursday suggested 61% of French voters were worried by the political situation. Far-left France Unbowed leader Manuel Bompard complained of a “pathetic spectacle”.
Macron has vowed to remain in office until his second term ends in 2027, despite Barnier’s downfall last week.
The president cut short a trip to Poland on Thursday and had been expected to name his new prime minister on Thursday night, but postponed his announcement until Friday.
He then met Bayrou, 73, at the Elysée Palace and a final decision was made hours later.
Bayrou was set to move into the prime minister’s residence at Hôtel Matignon almost immediately, and a red carpet was rolled out for the transfer of power even before his name was confirmed.
His challenge will be in forming a government that will not be brought down the way his predecessor’s was in the National Assembly.
Macron has already held round-table talks with leaders from all the main political parties, bar the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) of Jean-Luc Mélenchon and far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen.
The question will be whether parties from the centre left can be persuaded to join Bayrou’s government, or at least agree a pact so they do not oust him. Barnier lasted only three months in the job and LFI MPs have already indicated they would propose another vote of no confidence.
Barnier was voted out when Le Pen’s National Rally joined left-wing MPs in rejecting his plans for €60bn (£50bn) in tax rises and spending cuts. He was seeking to cut France’s budget deficit, which is set to hit 6.1% of economic output (GDP) this year.
Under the political system of France’s Fifth Republic, the president is elected for five years and then appoints a prime minister whose choice of cabinet is then appointed by the president.
Unusually, President Macron called snap elections for parliament over the summer after poor results in the EU elections in June. The outcome left France in political stalemate, with three large political blocs made up of the left, centre and far right.
Eventually he chose Barnier to form a minority government reliant on Marine Le Pen’s National Rally for its survival. Macron is now hoping to restore stability without depending on her party.
