Emmanuel Macron Names Centrist Ally, Bayrou As New French PM

On Friday, President Emmanuel Macron appointed centrist leader Francois Bayrou as prime minister, handing him the daunting task of pulling France out of months of political crisis.

Bayrou’s appointment comes nine days after parliament ousted Michel Barnier’s government in a historic no-confidence vote following a standoff over an austerity budget.

“The President of the Republic has appointed Mr. Francois Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government,” the French presidency said.

Bayrou becomes the sixth prime minister of Macron’s mandate after last week’s toppling of Barnier, who became France’s shortest-serving prime minister and lasted only three months.

He is also Macron’s fourth prime minister of 2024.

Bayrou now faces an immediate challenge in putting together a cabinet that can survive a no-confidence vote in a divided parliament and thrash out a 2025 budget in a bid to limit economic turmoil.