France’s Political Shake-Up: Macron Selects Michel Barnier As Prime Minister

On Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier as France’s new prime minister, aiming to stabilize his presidency and navigate the country’s divided legislature. Barnier, 73, a veteran conservative and former EU Brexit negotiator, replaces Gabriel Attal, the youngest and first openly gay prime minister, who served for just eight months.

Barnier’s appointment follows over 50 days of a caretaker government, and he faces the challenge of working with a deeply divided parliament that emerged from the June legislative elections. Macron’s office emphasized that Barnier’s role is to form a unifying government to address pressing issues, including the 2025 budget.

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Barnier, known for his extensive political experience and background in complex negotiations, now faces a potential parliamentary challenge as opponents, particularly on the left, criticize his appointment. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced Barnier’s appointment as a betrayal of election results, while Marine Le Pen from the far right indicated a willingness to cooperate but excluded her party from joining his government.

Political analyst Christophe Boutin highlighted Barnier’s task of building a broad-based government while avoiding extremes from both the far-left and far-right. Despite Barnier’s significant experience, critics argue that Macron’s choice does not signal the major change some voters anticipated.

Macron had retained Attal and his team during the Paris Olympics to manage day-to-day affairs after Attal’s resignation on July 16. Barnier’s immediate focus will be the 2025 budget, crucial for France’s fiscal health and its relations with the EU, which has criticized Paris for excessive debt.

(Includes inputs from online sources)

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