Macron Appoints François Bayrou as France's New Prime Minister

In an effort to overcome France's political deadlock, President Emmanuel Macron appointed François Bayrou as the country's new prime minister on Friday. A seasoned centrist politician and founder of the MoDem party, Bayrou begins his term as France's fourth prime minister in a year.

This appointment follows the resignation of Michel Barnier, a member of the conservative Les Républicains party, who was unable to secure enough support to pass the 2025 budget in the National Assembly last week. The deeply divided National Assembly witnessed a historic event as for the first time in over fifty years, members voted to remove a prime minister, leading to Barnier's departure after just three months in office. Macron's choice of Bayrou is part of a strategy to form coalitions with established political parties like Les Républicains and the Socialists to break the legislative stalemate.

However, this move may not be welcomed by socialist deputies who have been pushing for a leftist prime minister after the New People's Front, which won the most seats in last summer's early elections. Bayrou, who is also the mayor of Pau, has been a significant figure in French politics and an ally of Macron despite his unsuccessful presidential bids before Macron came to power in 2017.

The New People's Front currently encompasses three conflicting blocs in the lower house of parliament, ranging from Marine Le Pen and the far-right National Rally to the far-left France Unbowed and Macron's pro-business allies. Bayrou's selection indicates that Le Pen's group may continue to play a critical role in future political developments.

With the support of Socialists still uncertain, Macron's government risks facing another vote of no confidence. The previous no-confidence motion that led to Barnier's downfall was initiated by the far-left France Unbowed and supported by Le Pen's National Rally.