French President Macron vows to name new Prime Minister within days

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will appoint a new prime minister “in the coming days,” following Michel Barnier’s resignation after a no-confidence vote in parliament.

In a 10-minute address to the nation on Thursday, Macron rejected calls for his own resignation, pledging to remain in office “fully, until the end of the mandate” in 2027. He expressed gratitude to Barnier for his brief but dedicated service as prime minister and accused both the far-right and hard-left factions in France of forming an “anti-republican front” to bring down his government.

French MPs voted overwhelmingly to remove Barnier on Wednesday, just three months after his appointment. This marked the first time in over 60 years that a French government had been voted down by parliament, a move that Macron described as “unprecedented.”

In France, the president selects the prime minister, who then runs the government, but the prime minister must still answer to parliament. Barnier’s tenure was cut short by the no-confidence vote, which came just three months into his role.

Finding a new prime minister who will not face immediate rejection in parliament could prove challenging for Macron. After his decision to call for snap elections in June resulted in a deadlocked parliament, the National Assembly is now divided into three main blocs: the left, the center, and the far-right. To ensure his next prime minister’s survival, Macron may need to secure at least some support from the left bloc.

No new parliamentary elections can be held until July 2025, making Macron’s next move crucial. It took him two months over the summer to settle on Barnier.

In response to Macron’s speech on Thursday, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), reminded Macron on social media: “A little reminder to President Macron, who is supposed to be the guarantor of the Constitution: censure is not anti-republican, it is provided for in the Constitution of our Fifth Republic.”

The no-confidence vote against Barnier was introduced by both the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) alliance and Le Pen’s RN, after Barnier used special powers to push through his budget without a parliamentary vote.

The motion passed with 331 votes in favor, well above the 288 required. Barnier resigned on Thursday, and the budget was automatically withdrawn. He will remain in a caretaker capacity with his ministers until a new government is appointed, while Macron’s position remains unchanged.

Macron has faced significant criticism for his decision to call the snap elections in July, which led to a deadlock in parliament and an intensifying political crisis. He acknowledged that his decision “was not understood,” and said, “Many have blamed me for it, and I know many continue to blame me. It’s a fact, and it’s my responsibility.”

Directly addressing voters, he stated that some of his political opponents had chosen “chaos over responsibility” and were not considering “you, the voters,” implying that their focus was on the next presidential elections.

While Macron did not reveal who the next prime minister will be, he mentioned that their immediate priority would be the budget for 2025. Speculation is rife, with potential candidates including Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, and centrist former presidential candidate François Bayrou.

Before appointing Barnier as prime minister, Macron had asked his predecessor Gabriel Attal to serve as caretaker for two months following the summer elections.

It seems unlikely that a new government will be in place before Saturday, when world leaders, including US President-elect Donald Trump, are expected to attend the opening ceremony of the rebuilt Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The cathedral, which was devastated by fire in April 2019, has been reconstructed in just over five years, earning worldwide acclaim.