Michel Barnier named France's new prime minister amidst scrutiny
Michel Barnier is the new Prime Minister of France. The former head of French diplomacy and EU commissioner was appointed head of the government by President Emmanuel Macron. A meeting at the Élysée Palace preceded the nomination.
9:43 AM EDT, September 6, 2024
Barnier's name as the possible new head of government had been circulating since Wednesday evening. Even before the official nomination, LCI television reported that he was now the leading contender. Macron decided after weeks of consultations with political parties and nearly two months after the parliamentary elections, which concluded on July 7.
The new Prime Minister of France: who is he?
Seventy-three-year-old Barnier led France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2005 during Jacques Chirac's presidency. He twice served on the European Commission and was the EU's chief Brexit negotiator from 2016 to 2021. He briefly returned to French politics in 2021, participating in the primary elections of the right-wing party Republicans before the presidential elections.
Bardella: We will assess before potentially issuing a vote of no confidence
Jordan Bardella, head of France's far-right National Rally (RN), announced on Thursday that his party will assess Michel Barnier's political declarations before deciding on a possible vote of no confidence against the new government.
Bardella announced that RN will analyze Barnier's political statements, actions, and budget decisions "based on facts." "Eleven million RN voters deserve respect, and this is our first demand," Bardella stated in a communication on platform X.
He added that his party calls for action on the most important issues for citizens: purchasing power, security, and immigration. "We leave all political means of action open if this does not occur in the coming weeks," Bardella announced.
Shortly before, far-right leader Marine Le Pen announced that RN will wait for Barnier's policy speech in parliament and will be sensitive to "respect for the party's voters."
She also noted that Barnier "appears to meet at least one criterion" demanded by the far right, namely, "he will be able to address RN (...), as well as other groups" in parliament.
This means the far right will not immediately support a possible vote of no confidence against Barnier.
The National Rally (formerly the National Front) and a splinter group from the right-wing party Republicans have over 140 seats in Parliament, and their support is significant for maintaining the new government.
