French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier as the new Prime Minister on Thursday, ending the over fifty-day reign of the caretaker government.
The Elysee Palace issued a statement on Thursday, stating, “The President of the Republic has appointed Michel Barnier as Prime Minister. He is tasked with forming a unity government to serve the country and the French people.”
The statement added, “This appointment comes after unprecedented consultations, during which the President, in accordance with his constitutional responsibilities, ensured that the Prime Minister and the future government would meet conditions of stability as much as possible and have the opportunity to gather as broad a unity as possible.”
Barnier’s appointment also resolves the deadlock that emerged after the parliamentary elections in France. With no party gaining a majority in the National Assembly elections, the French political scene has been uncertain for the past two months.
At 73 years old, Barnier is a conservative politician representing the Republicans party, which stands for the traditional right-wing in France.
Barnier has been a staunch advocate for European unity throughout his political career spanning over fifty years. He has served as a French diplomat and European affairs official, as well as Minister of Environment and Agriculture, and has twice been an EU Commissioner. He also served as the chief negotiator for the EU in the Brexit negotiations with the UK.
However, the new Prime Minister will soon face a severe challenge due to the limited time he has to prepare the French budget for 2025. If any party in the deeply divided parliament is dissatisfied with the new budget, it may lead to a vote of no confidence against him.
Barnier will succeed Gabriel Attal, a 35-year-old former Prime Minister who tendered his resignation immediately after the prediction results of the second round of parliamentary elections on July 7. Macron rejected this request, asking him to temporarily continue in his role to ensure national stability.
The prospects for Barnier to form a stable government remain uncertain. Currently, the right-wing party National Rally (RN) is one of the largest parties in the parliament after the election. The party had previously expressed willingness to cooperate with Barnier and not immediately reject him.
According to the French constitution, the President is the head of state, in charge of the military and foreign policy, and nominates the Prime Minister and government members. The Prime Minister is responsible for formulating and implementing domestic policies, but can be ousted with a vote of no confidence by the National Assembly.
Following the announcement of Barnier’s appointment as Prime Minister by the President’s office, leaders of the major political parties in France responded.
Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally, stated on social media that his party would “judge” Barnier based on his “overall policy speech, budget decisions, and actions” upon his inauguration.
Marine Le Pen, one of the most influential politicians in the National Rally, emphasized in a television speech that the party would “not join any government” until they hear Barnier’s policy outlines. However, she also praised Barnier to some extent, calling him someone who “respects different political forces.”
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the far-left party France Unbowed, condemned the decision, accusing Macron of “stealing” the results of the parliamentary elections because in the July elections, Macron’s ruling party, Renaissance, narrowly won victory by forming a coalition with left-wing parties.
Melenchon called on the French people to protest against Barnier’s appointment.