France's prime minister has announced a new government, the country's fourth since the start of the year, in hopes that his government will hold off on another no-confidence vote by the bitterly divided parliament.
François Bayrou's government is a mix of old and new, and includes some familiar faces. Former Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin has been appointed Minister of Justice. Elisabeth Born, a former technocratic prime minister, has returned to the government as education secretary, and another former prime minister, Manuel Valls, who served under socialist president François Hollande, has been appointed overseas minister.
Jean-Noël Barrault remains foreign minister, while right-winger Bruno Letailot has been reappointed interior minister. Former banker Eric Lombard will lead the economy ministry, while Sebastian Lecorne will remain at the defense ministry and Rashida Dati will become culture minister.
Many leading politicians are looking forward to the 2027 presidential election, taking a chance on a government that is likely to collapse within weeks or remain dysfunctional until new general elections are held next summer. Amid reluctance to gamble, Bairou had struggled to find people willing to join his government 10 days before he was appointed by Emmanuel Macron.
Former Prime Minister Michel Barnier was in office for just 90 days before his government was overthrown by a vote of no confidence.
Bairou, a centrist, had promised to form a “government of national interest” across the centrist political base, with the exception of Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) and the far-left France Inboud (LFI). In the end, the Bayrou government, like the Barnier government before it, tilted toward the conservative right. Macron's government lost its majority in parliament in a snap election in June after far-right forces made historic gains in the European elections.
However, this move backfired, and the French National Assembly was divided into three roughly even groups: left, center, and right, with no group having an absolute majority.
One of the government's first tasks will be to draft a 2025 budget and reduce France's budget deficit, which is expected to reach 6% of gross domestic product by the end of the year and the European Union This is far more than the 3% of GDP required by Japan. Member States.
In early December, Barnier used a controversial constitutional clause known as Clause 49.3 to force a budget through, but the bill was scrapped after the country's government lost a no-confidence vote.
Bayrou, leader of the centrist Movement for Democracy (MoDem) party, said in a television interview on Thursday night that he hoped to present the government's new budget by mid-February, adding that there would be “the widest possible dialogue” beforehand. . He vowed not to use controversial Article 49(3) of the Constitution to pass legislation without debate unless it is “completely blocked”. He said he doesn't support new taxes on businesses, but he understands that growing budget deficits will need to be addressed with spending cuts.
In an interview with BFMTV, Bairou denied that Le Pen had any influence on cabinet appointments, as former minister Xavier Beltrán had claimed.
The Socialist Party (PS) described the new government as one “of and sustained by the far right.” Olivier Faure, secretary-general of the PS, said that he “could see no reason not to censure” the government in the vote of no confidence.
“We are disappointed in the poor nature of what is being proposed,” Faure said. “The Prime Minister needs to wake up and understand what's going on.”
Valls's appointment in particular has been seen as a “provocation” to the left, but Bayrou said: “He has a bit of a kamikaze personality. I like bold personalities, people who are open to taking risks. . He's someone I respect.”
The French parliament will be in recess until January 13th. Prime Minister Bayrou said the first Council of Ministers meeting will be held on January 3 and the government's plan will be announced on January 14.
Following Bayrou's declaration, the LFI filed a no-confidence motion and announced that the National Assembly would vote on it within 48 hours. If it succeeds, the regime will collapse again.
Macron spent Thursday and Friday on the island of Mayotte, France's poorest region, located off the coast of southeastern Africa near Madagascar. The island of Mayotte was recently hit by the worst cyclone in 90 years, killing at least 35 people and injuring another 2,500, including 78 seriously. He then traveled to Djibouti and Ethiopia before returning to Paris on Sunday, but the new prime minister struggled to find a consensus government.
President Macron on Monday declared a national day of mourning following the death and devastation in Mayotte caused by Cyclone Chido. The President and First Lady Brigitte Macron observed a minute's silence on the Elysée Avenue.
On Monday, Mr Bertrand, a veteran conservative, said he had been approached to join the Ministry of Justice but had been informed that the RN had vetoed his appointment. As a result, he said, he turned down other ministerial posts because he “refuses to participate in the French government established with the support of Marine Le Pen.”
“To accept under these conditions would be to deny my values, my resolve and my struggle,” he said, adding that “to deal with extremism…is a mistake.” he added.
“François Bairou will not survive the winter,” LN leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon said in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper on Friday.
