Macron hires third premier in 2024
Date
12/16/2024 5:51:54 AM
(MENAFN) French President Emmanuel macron has appointed François Bayrou as the country’s third prime Minister this year, following the resignations of two predecessors after brief tenures. Bayrou, a seasoned centrist politician and former presidential candidate, was appointed on Friday after a “tense” two-hour meeting with Macron. The 73-year-old will now face the challenge of navigating France’s Political and budgetary turmoil.
Bayrou replaces Michel Barnier, who served as prime minister for just over three months before resigning on December 5 following a no-confidence vote in parliament. Barnier had attempted to pass a slimmed-down 2025 budget, which included austerity measures aimed at addressing France’s growing budget deficit, expected to reach 6.1% of the country’s GDP this year—twice the limit set by the EU.
Barnier’s resignation came after Gabriel Attal, who had been prime minister since January, stepped down in July after a snap parliamentary election resulted in a hung parliament, with three competing political blocs. Macron had called the election following a significant defeat for his Renaissance party in the European parliamentary elections in June, which saw the right-wing National Rally (RN) make gains. In the aftermath, Macron formed a minority government that relied on the support of the RN while sidelining the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF), which won the most seats in parliament.
Bayrou, a long-time ally of Macron and founder of the Democratic Movement party, now faces the difficult task of pushing legislation through the fractured parliament. His close ties to Macron, who remains deeply unpopular, may also hinder his ability to govern effectively. Despite growing opposition calls for Macron to resign, the president has ruled out stepping down before his term ends in 2027.
Bayrou has a long political career, including serving as education minister from 1993 to 1997 and justice minister in 2017, though he resigned that post amid an investigation into alleged party fraud. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
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