Two months after the second round of the legislative elections on 7 July, which were won by the New Popular Front (NFP) coalition, Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier, 73, former European Commissioner for Les Républicains (LR), to the post of Prime Minister on Thursday 5 September. This choice comes at the end of a long hesitation by the President of the Republic, faced with an unprecedented situation. Macron asks Barnier to “to form a unifying government at the service of the country”the Elysée Palace announced on Thursday afternoon.
The name of Jacques Chirac’s former foreign minister resurfaced at the end of the day on Wednesday, and the Elysee dropped an announcement on Wednesday evening. He would meet the two main criteria set by the Head of State: the “not censurable” by the National Assembly “and the ability to form coalitions.” Michel Barnier’s big advantage in winning at Matignon: he would have the support of the Secretary General of the Elysée, Alexis Kohler. Savoy is also, according to a former minister, ” less divisive ” AND ” more consensual » than the profiles considered so far.
The two “finalists”, Bernard Cazeneuve and Xavier Bertrand, received on Monday by the Head of State, were finally dismissed on Wednesday. The first, who was not sure of receiving the green light from the Socialist Party which he left, was dismissed by Emmanuel Macron because he wanted to stay. “right in their boots” with a left-wing programme and who wishes, in particular, to question the pension reform. The LR president of the Hauts-de-France region came up against a “ anti-Bertrand front “The NFP and the National Rally (RN) threatened to censor it immediately.
Without presidential ambition
The name of Michel Barnier, who ran in the right-wing primaries in 2021, had already been circulating since the summer, among the names listed by the Head of State to some of his interlocutors. He was supported in particular by former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. He has the advantage, for Emmanuel Macron, of having more peaceful relations with the president of LR, Laurent Wauquiez, than Xavier Bertrand. And of not having presidential ambitions.
Will the Gaullist, former Brexit negotiator on behalf of the European Union, in turn see the National Rally rise up against him? While the group headed by Marine Le Pen has been calling for several days now” referee » Following the appointment of the Prime Minister, reactions within the party to the flame are varied. “We do Jurassic Park “, “ Michel Barnier is a fossil “, protested RN MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy on France Inter on Thursday morning, as rumours of his imminent appointment spread. Even judging ” idiot » former minister of Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.
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