Former Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier Appointed French Prime Minister!
Now, he has the tough job of forming a government that can work with a divided National Assembly. There are three big political groups, and none of them have enough seats to be in charge alone.
Barnier, also known as “Monsieur Brexit” in France, is the oldest prime minister since 1958. A few years ago, he tried to run for president but didn’t get his party’s support. He was known for wanting to control immigration. He’s taking over from Gabriel Attal, who’s been the caretaker prime minister since July. Attal is France’s youngest prime minister, first appointed in 2024.
It took Macron 60 days to pick Barnier, after calling a break in politics during the Paris Olympics. Now, Barnier will need all his political experience to get through the next few weeks, especially since the Socialists are already planning to challenge him.
Macron is in office until 2027, and usually, the government comes from the president’s party. But Macron shook things up by calling early elections, and his centrists lost to the left-wing New Popular Front. Macron spoke to several people before choosing Barnier, but his choice was tricky because the new prime minister has to survive a confidence vote in the National Assembly.
By picking Barnier, the Elysée Palace said Macron wanted stability and unity for the government. Barnier’s first big job will be getting France’s 2025 budget through the National Assembly. He has until October 1 to present it. Gabriel Attal has already started working on the budget, but Barnier will have to finish the job.
Barnier’s nomination has upset the New Popular Front, whose own candidate for prime minister was rejected. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed (LFI), said the election was “stolen from the French people” and criticized Macron for picking someone from a party that didn’t do well in the elections. He also called for protests against the decision.
To stay in office, Barnier needs 289 MPs to vote for him in the 577-seat assembly. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), said her party won’t join Barnier’s government, but she acknowledged that he at least seemed to respect different political opinions.
Jordan Bardella, president of RN, said Barnier will be judged on his actions, especially regarding France’s next budget, due on October 1. He mentioned cost of living, security, and immigration as the biggest issues for French people.
Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance is likely to support Barnier. National Assembly president Yaël Braun-Pivet congratulated him and said it’s now time for MPs to do their job.
Barnier wasn’t seen as a candidate until late Wednesday. Two other politicians, Bernard Cazeneuve and Xavier Bertrand, were thought to be top choices, but neither would have survived a confidence vote. Macron rejected the left-wing candidate, Lucie Castets, because she wouldn’t have gotten enough support.
Macron has been blamed for creating this political mess, and a recent poll showed that 51% of French voters think he should resign. Although that’s unlikely, Édouard Philippe, Macron’s first prime minister, has already announced he plans to run in the next presidential election.
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