Francois Bayrou: Who is France’s new Prime Minister?

13 December 2024, 12:49

French President Emmanuel Macron has selected centrist ally Francois Bayrou as his new Prime Minister.

It comes nine days after his predecessor, Michel Barnier, resigned following a no-confidence vote in France’s National Assembly.

Mr Bayrou will now move into the prime minister's residence at Hôtel Matignon as Macron scrambles together a government after months of turmoil.

Here is everything you need to know about the new PM pick.

Mr Baryou, 73, was until today a mayor in his home region of Pau in southwestern France.

The former education minister refers to himself as a “man of the countryside”.

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He is considered one of President Macron’s earliest allies and has long promoted centrist policies over the course of his decades-long political career.

The classic social democrat has recently advocated for policies viewed to the left of the Macron's, countering the president’s perceived shift to the right on areas such as security.

But that does not mean he is liked by politicians on the left.

Manon Aubry, from France’s leftwing La France Insoumise (LFI) party told French media: “He is the very embodiment of Macronism.

“How is it that when Emmanuel Macron loses an election he wants, at any price, to impose the colour and continuity of his own politics? … That does not work”.

Mr Baryou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, also known as the MoDems, which he founded in 2007.

The party went from 48 to 33 parliamentary seats in 2022.

The new prime minister has previously been a candidate in presidential elections in 2002, 2007, and 2012, unsuccessful in all attempts.

President Macron now faces the task of persuading centre left politicians to join Mr Bayrou's government.

He will begin the role with immediate effect and faces a mammoth task of persuading a deeply divided French parliament to support a budget at a time when the nation's public finances are under significant scrutiny.

His predecessor Mr Barnier was voted out when far-right politician Marine Le Pen's National Rally joined left-wing MPs to reject his controversial plans for €60 bIllion (£50 billion) in tax rises and spending cuts to slash the country’s budget deficit. 

Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally, said that “this new prime minister must understand that he has no majority in parliament”, adding that his party still had “red lines” on the budget. 

“The ball is in François Bayrou’s court,” he added.

Mr Barnier lasted just three months in the job. Mr Baryou is now France’s fourth prime minister in his year alone.