France. Michel Barnier is the candidate for prime minister. Emmanuel Macron has decided

Former French Foreign Minister and EU Commissioner Michel Barnier he was appointed prime minister by the president Emmanuel Macron – announced the Elysee Palace. The information appeared shortly after Barnier's meeting with the president. Barnier is to replace the 35-year-old Gabriela Attala. The 73-year-old has a chance of becoming the oldest head of government in the history of the Fifth Republic. According to the French constitution, the president appoints the prime minister.

“The president has ensured that Michel Barnier meets the conditions of stability and the broadest possible consensus, and has asked him to form a unity government that will serve the country,” the Elysée Palace said in a statement. Marcon made the decision almost at the last minute. Under French law, the government has until October 1 to submit a draft budget for 2025 to parliament. Meanwhile, Attal's cabinet did not have a majority in the National Assembly. It is not known, however, whether the Barnier government will receive a vote of confidence in parliament.but the National Union Marine Le Pen has already announced that it will not automatically vote against his candidacy if “he meets certain conditions.”

French media point out that The deadlock in the French parliament could last up to a yearbecause the constitution does not allow Macron to call early parliamentary elections until one year after the last election.

Macron was looking for a new prime minister France since the snap parliamentary elections that ended on July 7. Barnier's name has been repeated as a possible new head of government since Wednesday evening. On Thursday, LCI television reported that he was now the main contender. Attal, a centrist and associate of President Macron, resigned after the presidential camp lost the snap parliamentary elections at the turn of June and July. However, Macron asked him to remain in office temporarily “to ensure the stability of the country.”

The New Popular Front won the elections, but did not obtain an independent majority in parliament. Left-wing coalition won 182 seats in the 577-seat chamber. In second place is Macron's political campwhich has 168 seats. The far-right National Union received 143 seats in parliament. This means that no party received an absolute majority of 289 seats.

Since then, Macron has refused to appoint the alliance's candidate, a 37-year-old civil servant, as prime minister. Lucie Castets. There have even been calls on the left to impeach the president (Macron's term ends in 2027).

Barnier is considered a pro-European politician; in recent years he has hardened his stance on migration and begun to argue that immigration has gotten out of control, which is in line with the position of Le Pen's National Rally, among others.

The 73-year-old Barnier was the head of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2004-2005 (during the presidency Jacques'a Chiraca). He sat in the House twice. European Commission. He was the EC's chief Brexit negotiator from 2016 to 2021. He briefly returned to French politics in 2021, when he took part in the primaries of the centre-right Republicans party ahead of the presidential election.

Source: Le Monde, AFP, BFM TV

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