France’s new Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was running on Friday to be named by Christmas as the latest government to lead the country through its political crisis, but there are no signs of an end to the tensions that have rocked President Emmanuel Macron.
The country was plunged into fresh chaos earlier this month after the far right and left united to oust Bayrou’s predecessor Michel Barnier from office, ending his shortest tenure as prime minister in France’s Fifth Republic that began in 1958.
The immediate priority for centrist Bayrou — who has long coveted the prime minister’s job — will be to avoid a similar fate to Barnier’s, as many analysts are already predicting that his prime ministership will be short-lived.
While Bayrou was elected on December 13, he still has to submit his cabinet decisions to Macron a week later, and the formation of the government will be crucial in seeing France through its political storm.
Bayrou told France 2 television that he hoped his new administration would be unveiled “at the weekend” and “anytime before Christmas”.
The Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants a comprehensive cabinet reshuffle, bringing in high-level figures from the left, right and center but excluding the left and right.
He told France 2 that he wanted right-wing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to continue his job, saying he “found the directions that answered what part of public opinion wanted”.
The fate of other top positions is not yet known but, according to unconfirmed reports, former interior minister Gerald Darmanin may be in charge of the foreign ministry and former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne will be the one to defend.
– ‘The last stand before the cliff’ –
While saying “the way is there”, Bayrou warned of the impending danger if his government falls. He is Macron’s fourth prime minister in 2024 alone and the sixth since he came to power in 2017.
“If we fail in this effort, then this is the last place before the cliff,” said Bayrou.
Barnier was cast down for his failure to win support for a budget to shore up France’s faltering finances through spending cuts and tax increases to reduce the deficit.
The prime minister used the constitutional method to force the budget to be used without the approval of the parliament, and to force a vote of no confidence.
“I hope we can have it by mid-February. I’m not sure we’ll get there,” Bayrou admitted.
France has been in turmoil since Macron gambled on snap elections earlier this year in hopes of strengthening his authority, a move that has left even the president’s supporters scratching their heads.
Voters returned a parliament split between three rival blocs, with his centrist movement almost identical to a broad coalition of the far left and far right.
– ‘You need to wake up’ –
Both camps have called on the government to reverse some of Macron’s best reforms, including raising the pension age from 62 to 64.
In an unexpected move, Bayrou said he was open to re-examining the question of the pension age, saying he “believes” there could be an alternative retirement age of 64.
“But we will also have to ask ourselves the question of how we will finance it,” he added, warning that he will not stop the 2023 revolution.
Pressed on whether to invoke Article 49.3 — the mechanism used to force through the social budget and pension reforms without a vote — Bayrou vowed he would not invoke it unless there was a “complete secret in the budget”.
Leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon of France’s Unbowed Party (LFI) has vowed to table a no-confidence motion when Bayrou delivers a policy speech to parliament on January 14.
“We have not found a reason to disagree with the proposal of not trusting the people. The prime minister and those close to him need to wake up,” said the leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure.
Bayrou has endured a tumultuous first week as Prime Minister, after facing a barrage of criticism for attending a town hall meeting in the Pyrenees, Pau, where he remains mayor, while the French Indian Ocean region of Mayotte faced repercussions. of Cyclone Chido.
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