On Saturday, September 21st, the chief of staff (Secretary General of the Presidential Palace) of French President Emmanuel Macron announced the formation of a new government in hopes of ending the political uncertainty that has persisted for two and a half months following the election-induced parliamentary suspension.
Earlier this month, Macron appointed 73-year-old seasoned politician, former EU Commissioner, and conservative figure Michel Barnier as the Prime Minister. Under Barnier’s leadership, after two weeks of negotiations, the new government members emerged amidst various struggles and challenges, highlighting the daunting tasks ahead for the new government.
According to Reuters, on Saturday evening, Macron’s chief of staff Alexis Kohler announced at the Elysee Palace that 33-year-old Antoine Armand, a graduate of a top French administrative school, will be the Finance Minister. Jean-Noel Barrot, a former Minister of European Affairs aligned with Macron’s camp, will assume the role of Foreign Minister. The new government is primarily composed of centrists and conservatives.
He added that Sebastien Lecornu will continue as the Defense Minister in the new government.
The only left-wing member in the new government is the newly appointed Minister of Justice Didier Migaud, who was previously a member of the Socialist Party and had retired from politics earlier, remaining relatively unknown to the public.
The first ministerial meeting of the new government is scheduled for Monday afternoon. Barnier is set to deliver his comprehensive policy speech on October 1st.
Analysts suggest that whether the 2025 budget can be passed will be the first serious challenge for the new government. Questions loom over the stability of the new government and whether it can navigate parliamentary hurdles to push forward reform measures. Barnier’s government will face the daunting task of filling public finance gaps, potentially involving politically sensitive decisions on tax increases.
On Saturday night, Barnier posted on the social media platform, X, saying, “Got a team! Let’s get to work now!”
Despite efforts to unite centrists and conservatives, they will still rely on other parties, especially the “National Rally” led by Marine Le Pen, to stay in power and pass legislation in a divided parliament.
European intelligence analysts noted in a report that the centrist government is essentially a minority government, where ministers not only need consensus among themselves but also require opposition party votes to pass legislation in parliament, leading to more concessions and flexibility.
The “National Rally” tacitly supports Barnier as Prime Minister, but reserves the right to turn against him if he fails to address the party’s concerns on immigration, security, and other issues.