Senior politicians in France gave mixed reactions on Friday to the appointment of centrist politician François Bayrou as prime minister, just over a week after the fall of the previous government.
Last Wednesday, the opposition toppled conservative former Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a dispute over an austerity budget after he had been in power for just three months.
This forced French President Emmanuel Macron to look for a new prime minister, but it is not yet clear whether the new prime minister will have more support than Barnier.
Left Party coordinator Manuel Bompard immediately announced that he wanted a vote of no confidence against the new prime minister, saying Bayrou should be removed from office so that Macron could also be forcibly removed.
The head of the Greens, Marine Tondelier, told broadcaster BFMTV that a vote of no confidence would follow if Macron continued his current policy with the new prime minister and tried to keep certain key ministers in office.
Jordan Bardella, head of the far-right National Rally (RN), said his party initially had no intention of ousting Bayrou, and RN parliament leader Marine Le Pen called on the new prime minister to listen to the opposition and draw up a reasonable budget set. .
The Socialists said that while they would not join the new government, they would refrain from filing a vote of no confidence provided Bayrou did not make himself dependent on right-wing nationalists and sought consensus on budget issues.
France has been at a political stalemate since the June and July elections failed to produce clear results. At the same time, the country faces a critical economic situation, amid soaring national debt and a large budget deficit.
Opposition parties have demanded Macron’s resignation amid the political and economic crisis, while a 2025 budget has still not been approved just weeks before the new year. Macron has refused to resign.
Complicated power balance
There are three main camps of approximately equal size that do not have a majority in the National Assembly: the left camp of socialists, communists, greens and populists; Macron’s centrist forces; and the right-wing nationalists led by Le Pen.
The unlikely comrades of the left camp and right-wing nationalists together brought down Barnier’s government.
Bayrou is tasked with forming a government that involves as many parties as possible. Although they are unlikely to form a formal coalition, they are expected to work together to the extent that they do not immediately throw out the new government when they pass a budget.
According to the French constitution, new parliamentary elections cannot be held until one year after the last vote in July.
Macron has pledged to serve out his five-year term, which ends in 2027. He has said it is his responsibility to ensure the proper functioning of state institutions, the country’s independence and the protection of its population.
He has accused the far left and far right of harming the republic.
