Emmanuel Macron Appoints Francois Bayrou as New Prime Minister of France
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Paris, Dec 14 (NationPress) French President Emmanuel Macron has officially selected Francois Bayrou to serve as the nation's new Prime Minister, as declared by the Elysee.
Bayrou has been assigned the responsibility of assembling a new government, according to Macron's office. He will also be tasked with preparing the 2025 budget for approval by the National Assembly, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
As a centrist ally of Macron, Bayrou takes over from Michel Barnier, who was removed from his position following a no-confidence vote on December 4.
Born in 1952, Bayrou is the founder of the centrist party Democratic Movement (MoDem), established in 2007. He has previously run for the presidency on three occasions: in 2002, 2007, and 2012.
Following the Elysee's announcement on Friday, Jordan Bardella, the leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), stated during an interview with French news outlet BFMTV that his party would not immediately challenge Bayrou but emphasized that he must recognize his lack of democratic legitimacy and majority in the National Assembly, which necessitates dialogue with all parliamentary forces.
Additionally, the hard-left party La France Insoumise (LFI) has declared its intention to initiate a no-confidence vote to dismiss Bayrou.
LFI has consistently argued that the position of Prime Minister should be held by a member of the left-wing party coalition, which secured the most seats in the recent snap legislative elections this year.
In a press conference on Friday afternoon, Bayrou underscored the significance of reconciliation. “Everyone understands the difficulty of the task...There is a path to be found that unites people instead of dividing them,” he remarked.
Michel Barnier offered his congratulations to his successor via a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating: “In this serious time for France and for Europe, all my personal and friendly wishes for his action as the head of the government.”
The ceremony for the transfer of power is set to take place at 5 p.m. local time.
On December 4, the French National Assembly voted in favor of a no-confidence motion against Barnier, resulting in his resignation and the collapse of the government. Barnier's administration became the first to be removed by a no-confidence vote since 1962.
