Michel Barnier Named as New Prime Minister of France

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday named Michel Barnier as the new Prime Minister of France. This happened after weeks of deliberations with French leaders to identify a suitable candidate for the position.

France has been under the rule of a caretaker government since July.  The former PM Gabriel Attal was in charge of government during the long search for a new prime minister but could not make major decisions since he was only a caretaker PM. This appointment was, therefore, very much anticipated.

Mr.Michel Barnier, 73,  is a well-known figure in the international space but less is known of him within France.  He is a member of the main conservative party of France, the right-wing  Republican party which got a very low parliamentary representation from the July elections.

He was a leading EU negotiator during the Brexit negotiations. He also served as European Commissioner twice.

As reported by euro news , Barnier was born to a humble Catholic family of craftsmen in Savoie He became a political activist at the tender age of 14 and worked his way up to become a ministerial advisor in 1972.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed confidence in Mr. Michel Barnier. He believes that Mr. Barnier is the right person to form a government that will serve the people of France diligently.

However, the current political turmoil in France could pose a great challenge to the performance of the new PM.  The legislature is heavily divided.

Some other significant political leaders have also expressed disappointment with Macron’s decision to appoint Michel Barnier as the new PM.  This means Mr. Barnier has a lot to do in terms of unifying the country.  He is also expected to convince parliamentarians to avoid a looming vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly.

Macron reportedly rejected the candidate of the New Popular Front- an alliance of left-wing parties with the highest representation in the National Assembly.

No party, however, has the numbers in parliament to make major decisions without the collaboration of the other parties. The  New Popular Front won 193 seats in the July polls which is less than the required 289 seats needed to make unopposed decisions in the French Parliament.

Mr. Michel Barnier is, therefore, faced with the arduous task of ensuring that all parties work together to ensure the smooth running of his government.