On September 11, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier announced that he will be forming a new government next week. The new government aims to end a period of political uncertainty before the upcoming 2025 budget battle.
Barnier stated that he will defend some key policies of French President Emmanuel Macron and strengthen the government’s stance on immigration. His government will be tasked with pushing reforms and budgets through a minority parliament, while also facing pressure from the European Commission and bond markets to reduce France’s deficit.
President Macron appointed the 73-year-old conservative and former UK Brexit negotiator Barnier to lead the government last week. Barnier belongs to the Republicans party, representing the traditional right-wing of France.
The new prime minister is facing a daunting challenge as time is running out to prepare the 2025 budget for France. If any party in the deeply divided parliament is not satisfied with the new budget, it could lead to a vote of no confidence against him.
According to the French constitution, the president is the head of the state, overseeing the military, foreign policy, and nominating the prime minister and government members. The prime minister is responsible for formulating and implementing domestic policies, but can be ousted by a vote of no confidence by the National Assembly.
The prospect of Barnier forming a stable government remains uncertain. This is mainly due to Macron’s abrupt announcement of early elections on June 9, resulting in a three-way split between the left, right, and center in the minority parliament.
Currently, the far-right party National Rally (RN) is one of the largest parties in the post-election parliament. The party’s influential politician Marine Le Pen stated that the party “will not join any government” until they hear Barnier’s policy outline. However, she also somewhat praised Barnier, calling him a person who “respects different political forces”.
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the far-left party France Unbowed, condemned Barnier’s appointment, accusing Macron of “stealing” the election results because in the July elections, Macron’s ruling party Renaissance, along with left-wing parties, barely secured victory.