French President Emmanuel Macron has named Michel Barnier as prime minister almost two months after France’s snap elections ended in political deadlock.
Mr. Barnier, 73, is the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, having led discussions with the UK government from 2016 to 2019.
A seasoned member of the right-wing Republicans (LR) party, he boasts a long political career with numerous senior roles in France and the EU.
He now faces the task of forming a government capable of navigating a National Assembly divided into three major political blocs, none of which hold a clear majority.
Known in France as Monsieur Brexit, Mr. Barnier will become the oldest prime minister since the Fifth Republic was established in 1958.
Three years ago, he unsuccessfully sought his party’s nomination to challenge President Macron in the French presidential election, advocating for tighter immigration controls.
He is set to replace Gabriel Attal, France’s youngest-ever prime minister, who was first appointed by President Macron in early 2024 and has served as caretaker since July.
President Macron took 60 days to decide on a prime minister after calling a “political truce” during the Paris Olympics.
Mr. Barnier will need to employ all his political acumen in the coming weeks, as the centre-left Socialists are already preparing to challenge his appointment with a vote of confidence.
With President Macron’s term extending until 2027, the government typically aligns with the president’s party, elected separately. However, Macron’s snap elections in June resulted in his centrists coming second to the left-wing New Popular Front.
President Macron considered several candidates for prime minister, but the choice was complicated by the need for someone who could withstand a potential censure vote in the National Assembly.
The Elysée Palace stated that Mr. Barnier’s appointment aims to provide maximum stability and unity for the government.
Mr. Barnier has been tasked with forming a unifying government “in the service of the country and the French people,” according to the presidency.
His immediate challenge will be to navigate France’s 2025 budget, with a draft plan due to the National Assembly by October 1. Gabriel Attal has worked on a provisional budget over the summer, but passing it will require all of Mr. Barnier’s political expertise.
Mr. Barnier’s nomination has already stirred dissatisfaction within the New Popular Front (NFP), whose own prime ministerial candidate was rejected by President Macron.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical France Unbowed (LFI)—the largest party within the NFP—has criticized the election process, claiming it was “stolen from the French people.”
He expressed frustration that the prime minister will be from the Republicans, a party that finished last in the July 7 elections, rather than from the leading alliance.
“This is now essentially a Macron-Le Pen government,” Mélenchon remarked, referencing the far-right National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen.
Mélenchon has called for a left-wing protest against President Macron’s decision, scheduled for Saturday.
To secure his position, Mr. Barnier will need to win the support of 289 out of 577 MPs in the National Assembly.
Marine Le Pen has stated that her party will not participate in his government, though she acknowledged that Barnier seems to meet the National Rally’s initial requirement of “respecting different political forces.”
Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old president of the National Rally (RN), stated that Mr. Barnier will be evaluated based on his words, actions, and decisions, particularly regarding France’s upcoming budget, which must be presented to parliament by October 1.
Bardella highlighted the cost of living, security, and immigration as pressing issues for the French public, warning that “all means of political action” will be considered if these issues are not addressed in the coming weeks.
Mr. Barnier is expected to gain support from President Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance. Macron ally Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, congratulated Barnier and emphasized that MPs must fully engage in their responsibilities: “Our mandate obliges us to.”
Barnier only emerged as a potential candidate late on Wednesday afternoon. Prior to this, former Socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve and Republicans regional leader Xavier Bertrand were seen as the most likely candidates, but it quickly became clear that neither would have survived a vote of confidence.
President Macron’s decision to reject left-wing candidate Lucie Castets, a senior civil servant in Paris, was based on the belief that she would not withstand a vote of confidence.
Macron has faced significant criticism for triggering France’s political crisis, with a recent opinion poll showing that 51% of French voters believe he should resign. Although resignation seems unlikely, Édouard Philippe, the prime minister Macron appointed in 2017, has already announced his intention to run in the next presidential election, three years ahead of schedule.