France’s President Emmanuel Macron has named centrist ally François Bayrou as the new prime minister, aiming to stabilize a government shaken by recent political turmoil. The announcement on Friday follows a week of uncertainty after the previous prime minister, Michel Barnier, was ousted through a no-confidence vote.
Bayrou, a 73-year-old veteran politician, is the founder of the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem) party and currently serves as the mayor of Pau, a town in southwestern France. A three-time presidential candidate, Bayrou backed Macron in 2017, cementing their political alliance.
His immediate task will be to form a new government and navigate a deeply divided parliament to pass a critical budget. Macron’s centrist coalition is caught between strong opposition from left-wing and far-right blocs, posing significant challenges to legislative progress.
Barnier’s administration, which lasted only three months, fell apart while attempting to push through a controversial 2025 budget proposal that included €60 billion ($62.9 billion) in tax increases. His decision to bypass a parliamentary vote on the measure united opposition forces, leading to his downfall.
Bayrou now faces a tight deadline to pass his own budget by December 21. Failure to do so could prompt the government to enact a “fiscal continuity law,” allowing essential functions to continue under 2024 spending limits, according to S&P Global Ratings.
France’s political instability stems from snap parliamentary elections called by Macron in July, which resulted in a fragmented legislature. This left Macron’s centrist lawmakers wedged between influential left-wing and far-right factions.
Despite mounting pressure, Macron has refused to step down, urging parliament in a recent televised address to prioritize the nation’s interests and fulfill its responsibilities to the French people.
Far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella told BFMTV on Friday that his party would not automatically file a censure motion against Bayrou but emphasized that budget negotiations would be key. “The ball is in François Bayrou’s court,” Bardella said, underlining the challenges ahead for the new prime minister.