French President, Emmanuel Macron, has appointed François Bayrou as the country’s new prime minister, in a move aimed at stabilising his government following a turbulent political crisis.
The announcement came on Friday, a week after former Prime Minister Michel Barnier was forced to resign following a vote of no confidence in his minority government.
Bayrou, a 73-year-old veteran politician and founder of the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem), has long been an ally of Macron, supporting his presidential bid in 2017.
The seasoned politician, who also serves as the mayor of Pau, takes office at a time of deep political division, with Macron’s administration facing opposition from both the far-left and far-right blocs in parliament.
The political upheaval began when Barnier’s government failed to pass its proposed 2025 budget, which included €60 billion in tax hikes.
His controversial decision to bypass a parliamentary vote on the budget sparked backlash, uniting left- and right-wing lawmakers against him and leading to his resignation after just three months tenure.
Bayrou now faces the immediate challenge of crafting a new budget that can secure parliamentary approval.
According to CNN, Bayrou must finalise and pass the 2025 budget by December 21 to avoid a government shutdown. Should that deadline be missed, the administration may turn to a “fiscal continuity law,” allowing basic government operations to continue with spending capped at 2024 levels.
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