Michel Barnier appointed French PM amidst political scrutiny

Michel Barnier is the new Prime Minister of France. The former head of French diplomacy and EU commissioner was appointed head of the government by President Emmanuel Macron. A meeting at the Élysée Palace preceded the nomination.

Barnier's name as the possible new head of government had been circulating since Wednesday evening. Even before the official nomination, LCI television reported he was the main contender. Macron decided after weeks of consultations with political parties and nearly two months after the parliamentary elections, which concluded on July 7.

Seventy-three-year-old Barnier led France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2004-2005 (during the presidency of Jacques Chirac). He twice served on the European Commission. From 2016 to 2021, he was the EU's chief Brexit negotiator. He briefly returned to French politics in 2021, participating in the primary elections of the right-wing party Republicans before the presidential elections.

Jordan Bardella, head of France's far-right National Rally (RN), announced on Thursday that his party will assess Michel Barnier's political declarations, who has been appointed Prime Minister, before deciding on a possible vote of no confidence against the new government.

Bardella announced that RN will analyze Barnier's political announcements, actions, and budget decisions "based on facts." "Eleven million RN voters deserve respect, and this is our first demand," Bardella stated in a communication on platform X.

He added that his party calls for action on issues it deems most important for citizens: purchasing power, security, and immigration. "We leave all political means of action open if this does not occur in the coming weeks," Bardella announced.

Shortly before, far-right leader Marine Le Pen announced that RN will wait for Barnier's policy speech in parliament and will be sensitive to "respect for the party's voters."

She also assessed that Barnier "appears to meet at least one criterion" demanded by the far right, namely "he will be able to address RN (...), as well as other groups" in parliament.

This means that the far right will not immediately support a possible vote of no confidence against Barnier.

The National Rally (formerly the National Front) and a splinter group from the right-wing party Republicans have over 140 seats in Parliament, and their support is significant for maintaining the new government.