Francois Bayrou appointed new French PM
Agencies
14/12/2024
Francois Bayrou (pictured) was appointed as the new Prime Minister of France, replacing Michel Barnier who was eliminated in a vote of no confidence. - Reuters Image
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron, who is facing political pressure, has appointed his centrist ally, Francois Bayrou, as the country's new prime minister, as announced on Friday.
This step was taken in an effort to defuse a political crisis that was further weakening its influence.
Macron's office made this announcement a week after the incumbent, Michel Barnier, was removed in a vote of no confidence. Bayrou, who ran for the presidency three times before backing Macron in 2017, is the founder of the centrist political party, the Democratic Movement (MoDem).
He is also the mayor of Pau, a city in southwestern France.
Following his inauguration, Bayrou will have to form a government and try to pass a budget in a significantly divided Parliament, as Macron faces opposition from the left and right wing blocs.
"Everyone is aware of the difficulty of this task," Bayrou told reporters here on Friday.
"I believe there is a way to unite the people, not divide them."
Barnier's previous minority government collapsed after just three months when he tried to pass a 2025 budget that included a tax hike of 60 billion euros (US$62.9 billion).
His efforts to force the agenda to be implemented without a vote gave MPs the opportunity to oust him, with the left and right forces uniting to topple him.
Bayrou will now have to take over the challenge, but it is not yet clear whether his tenure will be more successful than his predecessor.
He must approve his own budget before Dec 21.
If that deadline is missed, the government could still implement "fiscal continuity laws" to avoid a shutdown by allowing the government to collect taxes and pay salaries, but with limited spending at 2024 levels, according to credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings.
France's political crisis erupted when Macron called for emergency parliamentary elections in July, which ultimately left centrist MPs trapped between the ruling left and right blocs.
Last week, Macron resisted calls for resignation and claimed that Parliament should "do what it is elected to do" and act "for the service of the French people." – Agency
