After several months of uncertainty, this Thursday, September 5, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed conservative Michel Barnier as the new French prime minister, known internationally for being a key figure in the controversial Brexit negotiations, which led to the divorce between the European Union and the United Kingdom.
After a meeting at the Élysée Palace in Paris, Macron tasked him with forming a unity government, following weeks of unprecedented consultations to ensure the most stable appointment possible.
"A lot of listening and a lot of respect will be needed. Respect between the government and the Parliament, from all political forces (...) and I will start working on this from tonight," said Barnier in his first statements as prime minister from the Élysée Palace in Paris.
High tension over the appointment
At 73 years old, Barnier could count on the support of his party The Republicans (LR, fourth in the elections) and Macron's alliance. But this is insufficient in the face of a potential vote of no confidence, if both the far-right party National Rally (RN) and its allies as well as the left coalition vote in favor, causing the immediate downfall of the new government.
Marine Le Pen ruled out a motion of censure for now, pending the hearing of the general policy speech and reiterated her priorities: purchasing power, fighting against "out-of-control immigration" and insecurity, and modifying the electoral system.
On the other hand, the left denounced a “regime crisis,” in the words of the socialist Olivier Faure, as Macron appointed a member of LR, who did not participate in the tacit agreement between the NFP and the ruling party to stop the far-right during the elections.