President Emmanuel Macron named Michel Barnier as France’s new prime minister on Thursday, hoping the Brexit negotiator and veteran Conservative can work with the country’s bitterly divided legislature to end political turmoil.
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In his first speech as French Prime Minister Michael Barnier has vowed to respond to citizens’ “anger.” Speaking at a handover ceremony with his predecessor Gabriel Attal in Paris, Barnier said his new role would focus on solving a series of issues that are causing resentment among French voters.
“It will be about responding as much as possible to the challenges, to the anger you have spoken about, to the suffering, to the sense of abandonment and injustice that pervades, all too often, our cities, our neighborhoods and our countryside,” Barnier said.
At 73, Barnier is the oldest of the 26 prime ministers who have served under France’s Fifth Republic. He replaces the youngest, Gabriel Attal, who was 34 when he was appointed just eight months ago.
He is a staunch veteran of the recently renamed right-wing Republican Right (LR) party and has had a long political career in France and the EU, having twice served as European Commissioner and, between 2016 and 2021, as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator.
Barnier’s appointment ends more than fifty days of interim government in France, but offers no guarantee of a return to political calm. The current National Assembly is divided into three blocs: the left-wing NFP coalition (which won the most seats but not an absolute majority), Macron’s centrist group, and the far-right Rassemblement National.
And Barnier will have to face the difficult task of working with the acrimonious and deeply divided parliament that emerged from early legislative elections called by Macron in June.
“With Michel Barnier in Matignon as prime minister, the president clearly remains in power. His prime minister does not question him. The extreme moderation and conciliatory nature of his prime minister are an advantage for the president, not necessarily for the French who voted for the left and who feel betrayed,” said political analyst Dominique Moisi.
Barnier will now have to pass a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament.
According to experts, by choosing Barnier, Macron may have inevitably strengthened the hand of the Rassemblement National, giving him the role of kingmaker. But the importance of the left must not be overlooked if Barnier is to assume the prime ministerial seat.
“Today we have three major political protagonists: Macron, Melenchon and Marine Le Pen. And there are two that are considered a disaster. It’s just one more step that helps give more credibility to the far right,” Emmanuel Rivière, a political scientist and pollster, told Euronews.
If he survives the vote of confidence, the new head of government will have to get to work immediately: first of all, France must present its proposals to the EU. proposals for reducing public spending by September 20although the deadline may be extended until October.
To comply with EU rules, France would have to make cuts of at least 30 billion euros in 2025. Then, on October 1st, it will have to be a draft of the country’s budget for 2025 was submitted to parliament, at a time when French public finances are in serious difficulty.
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