PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday appointed centrist politician François Bayrou as prime minister, the Élysée Palace said, just over a week after the fall of the previous government. Last Wednesday, the opposition brought down conservative former premier Michel Barnier in a dispute over an austerity budget, after he had only been in office for three months. France has been politically deadlocked since elections held in June and July failed to produce a clear result. At the same time, the country is facing a critical economic situation amid soaring national debt and a large budgetary deficit.
Opposition parties have demanded Macron resign amid the political and economic crisis, with a 2025 budget still not approved just weeks before the new year. Macron has refused to step down.
There are three main camps of roughly equal size that do not have a majority in the National Assembly: the left-wing camp of Socialists,communists, greens and populists; Macron's centrist forces; and the right-wing nationalists led by Marine Le Pen. The unlikely bedfellows of the left-wing camp and the right-wing nationalists combined to bring down Barnier's government.
Bayrou will be tasked with forming a government that brings in as many parties as possible. While they are not likely to establish a formal coalition, they will be expected to cooperate to the extent of not immediately throwing out the new government over passing a budget.
A new parliamentary election cannot be held until a year after the last vote in July, according to France's constitution. Macron has rejected calls for his resignation and has vowed to serve out his five-year term, due to end in 2027. He has said that it is his responsibility to ensure the proper functioning of state institutions, the independence of the country and the protection of the population. - dpa
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