France’s new Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was Friday racing to name by Christmas at the latest a government to lead the country out of its political crisis but with no sign of an end to months of tensions that have rattled President Emmanuel Macron.
The country was plunged into fresh chaos earlier this month after the far right and left wing joined forces to eject Bayrou’s predecessor Michel Barnier from office, making his the shortest stint as prime minister in France’s Fifth Republic which began in 1958.
The most immediate priority of centrist Bayrou — who has long coveted the job of prime minister — will be to avoid the same fate as Barnier, with many commentators already predicting his premiership will be short-lived.
While Bayrou was appointed on December 13, he has still yet to submit his cabinet choices to Macron one week on, with the composition of the government set to be crucial in seeing France through its political storm.
Bayrou told France 2 television he hoped that his new administration would be presented “over the weekend” and “in any case before Christmas”.
The premier has made clear he wants a wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle, bringing in high-profile figures from the left, right and centre but excluding the hard left and far-right.
He told France 2 he wanted hardline right-wing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to stay in his post, saying “he had found directions that responded to what part of public opinion was demanding”.
The fate of other top posts is more uncertain but, according to unconfirmed reports, former interior minister Gerald Darmanin could be in line for the foreign ministry while ex-premier Elisabeth Borne is a candidate for defence.
– ‘Last stop before cliff’ –
While saying a “path exists”, Bayrou warned of the peril ahead if his government fell. He is Macron’s fourth premier of 2024 alone and sixth since he came to power in 2017.
“If we fail in this attempt, then this is the last stop before the cliff,” Bayrou said.
Barnier was brought down over his failure to win support for a budget to shore up France’s shaky finances with spending cuts and tax rises to reduce the deficit.
The ex-premier used a constitutional mechanism to force through the budget without parliament’s approval, forcing the no-confidence vote.
“I hope that we can have it around mid-February. I’m not sure we’ll get there,” Bayrou admitted.
France has been mired in deadlock since Macron gambled on snap elections earlier this year in the hopes of bolstering his authority, a move that still leaves even supporters of the president scratching their heads.
Voters returned a parliament fractured between three rival blocs, with his centrist movement a roughly similar size to the broad leftist alliance and the far right.
– ‘Need to wake up’ –
Both those camps have urged the government to reverse some of Macron’s flagship reforms, including the raising of the state pension age from 62 to 64 years old.
In an unexpected move, Bayrou said he was open to reexamining the pension age question, saying he “believes” there could be an alternative to a retirement age of 64.
“But we’ll also have to ask ourselves the question of how to finance it,” he added, warning that he would not suspend the 2023 reform.
Pressed on whether he would invoke Article 49.3 — the mechanism used to force through the social security budget as well as the pension reform without a vote — Bayrou vowed not to use it unless there was a “total deadlock on the budget”.
Hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed party (LFI) has vowed to table a motion of no confidence when Bayrou gives a policy speech to parliament on January 14.
“We have not found any reason not to back a no confidence motion. The prime minister and those around him really need to wake up,” said Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure.
Bayrou has endured a tumultuous first week as premier, not least after facing a barrage of criticism for attending a town hall meeting in the Pyrenees city of Pau, of which he remains mayor, while the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte was grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Chido.
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