Despite Barnier coming in fourth in the election, Macron is confident the Brexit negotiator and veteran Conservative can appease the legislature and end the political unrest that has escalated after he refused to name a left-wing prime minister.
Michel Barnier has promised to respond to citizens’ “anger” in his first speech as prime minister of France. In his speech at the transfer of power ceremony with his predecessor Gabriel Attal In Paris, Barnier said his new role would focus on solving a series of problems causing resentment among French voters.
“We will try to respond as much as possible to the challenges, the anger which you were talking about, sufferingal feeling of abandonmentof injustice that travel too much through our cities, our neighborhoods and our fields,” he said.
The president of France, Emmanuel Macronnamed Barnier prime minister on Thursdayhoping the veteran conservative can work with the country’s bitterly divided legislature and end the political turmoil that has rocked the presidency. Something quite difficult given that Barnier represents the center-right party Los Republicanos, a force that came in fourth place in the elections.
Macron has refused to name Prime MinisterLucie Castets left coalition candidate New Popular Front which was the most voted force.
The youngest gives way to the oldest
To his 73 yearsBarnier is the oldest of the 26 prime ministers who have held office in France during the Fifth Republic.
Replaces the youngest,Gabriel Attalwho was 34 years old when he was appointed just eight months ago. Barnier has had a long political career in France and the European Union, having been twice European commissioner and, between 2016 and 2021, EU chief negotiator for Brexit.
Barnier’s appointment puts an end to more than 50 days of provisional government in France, but does not offer no guarantee of return to political calm.
A bitter and deeply divided parliament
The current National Assembly is divided into three blocks: the coalition of left NFP (which won the largest number of seats but did not reach an absolute majority), the group centrist of Macron and the far-right National Group.
And now he faces the difficult task of having to work with that Parliament blocked, acrimonious y deeply dividedarising from early legislative elections that Macron called in June.
“With Michel Barnier in Matignon as prime minister, the president remains clearly in power. He is not challenged by the prime minister of him. Extreme moderation and conciliatory character of his prime minister is an advantage for the president, not necessarily for the French who voted left and who feel betrayed“, declared the political analyst Dominique Moisi.
Barnier will now have to overcome a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament.
By choosing Barnier, Macron could have inevitably strengthened the hand of the far-right National Rally and given it the role of king makersome observers believe, as reported on the front page of the newspaper ‘Liberation’ this Friday. But the importance of the left should not be discounted if Barnier is to occupy the position of prime minister.
“Today we have three major political actors: Macron, Melenchon and Marine Le Pen. And there are two who are considered to be making a mess. It is just one more step that contributes to giving more credibility to the extreme right,” he explains to ‘Euronews‘ Emmanuel Rivièrepolitical scientist and polling expert.
Cuts for the EU and budget for 2025
If he manages to obtain the vote of confidence from the chamber, the new head of Government will have to get to work: first of all, France must present its proposals to cut public spending before September 20, although that deadline can be extended until October. For meet EU standardsFrance would have to do cuts of at least 30 billion euros in 2025.
Next, on October 1, a draft budget for 2025at a time when French public finances are in a desperate situation.
Additional sources • Enrique Barrueco (Voice-over)
