Paris (Brussels Morning Newspaper): On December 13, 2024, Emmanuel Macron appointed François Bayrou, as France’s new prime minister after Michel Barnier was removed. Bayrou leads the MoDem party and faces a divided parliament.
François Bayrou, a veteran centrist politician and ally of President Emmanuel Macron, has been appointed as France’s new prime minister after a vote of no-confidence removed the previous prime minister, Michel Barnier, who served for just three months. Bayrou, 73, is the leader of the MoDem party and has been a close supporter of Macron since he took office in 2017. This marks the fourth prime minister in France this year, as the country faces ongoing political challenges in a divided parliament.
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France’s parliament is now divided after the elections in June. President Macron’s party lost some seats, while the left-wing group got the most votes but still lacked a majority. The far-right National Rally also gained a few seats. The new Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, needs to form a government that can work with parliament to prepare the budget for 2025. Some politicians support her, but others remind her that she doesn’t have a majority to count on.
François Bayrou, a seasoned politician, is facing criticism from both the left politicians and the right politicians. The left believes his appointment means President Macron will continue his policies, ignoring the recent election where the left alliance received the most votes. Manon Aubry from the left-wing party La France Insoumise said Bayrou represents everything Macron stands for and questioned why Macron wants to keep his political agenda after losing the election.