1 week Ago
François Bayrou has been appointed on Friday as the new Prime Minister of France following the resignation of Michel Barnier. The centrist leader met with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace early this morning to formalize his appointment. Barnier stepped down after his government collapsed last week, triggered by a no-confidence vote.
The political crisis arose after Barnier invoked special powers to push a social security budget through the lower house of parliament without a final vote. Bayrou, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, is a veteran politician and mayor from the southwest, who also leads the centrist MoDem party. Before the official announcement, Bayrou and Macron reportedly engaged in nearly two hours of tense discussions, according to French media.
Macron now faces the challenge of ensuring Bayrou's tenure surpasses that of his predecessor, Michel Barnier. The former Brexit negotiator was ousted by MPs just nine days ago after a three-month stint in office. As Macron reaches the midpoint of his second presidential term, Bayrou becomes his fourth prime minister in less than a year, underscoring the instability within his government.
French politics has remained in gridlock since President Emmanuel Macron called snap parliamentary elections over the summer. The political stalemate has fueled growing public concern, with a recent BFMTV opinion poll revealing that 61 percent of French voters are worried about the current situation. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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