French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday announced a new government. This government will be led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The move comes 11 weeks after parliamentary elections in which no one got a clear majority. This information was given by the President’s office. Prime Minister Barnier was appointed only two weeks ago. His first major task will be to present the budget plan for 2025. The plan aims to address France’s financial situation, which Barnier described this week as “very serious”. This new government is showing signs of right-wing inclination, which indicates a change in policies compared to Macron’s previous regime.
On September 5, President Emmanuel Macron appointed former EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as the new Prime Minister of France. Macron announced the name of the new Prime Minister after a caretaker government that lasted more than 50 days. Barnier will now replace Gabriel Attal, who resigned from the post after the elections on July 16 produced a hung parliament.
Macron’s office issued a statement announcing Barnier’s appointment, saying he has been “tasked with forming a unified government to serve the country and the French people.” According to the statement, the President, as part of his constitutional duty, has ensured after unprecedented consultations that the Prime Minister and the future government remain as stable as possible. Barnier comes from France’s Alpine region Haute-Savoie and is an experienced politician. He was the main negotiator in the talks on Britain’s separation from the European Union.
Let us tell you that France has a semi-presidential republic, which is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The President is the head of the country and has extensive powers. He plays an important role in foreign policy, defense, and national security. The President is directly elected by the people for 5 years. The Prime Minister is the head of the government and is appointed by the President. The Prime Minister’s responsibility is to implement policies and govern in collaboration with the Parliament. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet together run the executive branch.
French Prime Minister hands over final cabinet list to Macron
Earlier, France’s newly appointed Prime Minister Michel Barnier handed over the final list of cabinet ministers to the country’s President Emmanuel Macron. On Thursday, Macron rejected the previously proposed version of the list, considering it “monochrome” because it included a large number of representatives of the right-wing Republicans party, of which Barnier is a member, reports French newspaper Le Monde.
The final government list has been sent to the Elysee Palace, BFMTV reported late Friday, adding that an official announcement on the cabinet formation could be made before Sunday. Earlier in the week, Le Monde quoted sources in the French presidency as saying that although Macron has allowed Barnier to decide the government list, he has stressed the importance of achieving national unity and political balance. Sources close to President Macron told the newspaper that the president is concerned that his own position could be weakened by a possible no-confidence vote caused by Barnier’s resignation.
It is worth mentioning that Macron appointed the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to a key position in the French cabinet 60 days after the snap parliamentary elections on September 5. Barnier is widely considered a conservative leader, while some also believe that he nurtures right-wing views.
In snap parliamentary elections held in July, the right-wing New Popular Front bloc won 182 of the 577 seats. Macron’s Together coalition came in second with 168 seats. The right-wing National Rally party, along with the Republicans party and their allies, came in third in parliament with 143 seats.