Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier named new French PM

PARIS — In a bid to break the deadlock over the new French government after the elections to the National Assembly threw up a fractured mandate, President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday named right-wing leader Michel Barnier as Prime Minister.

Republicans (LR) party leader Barnier, 73, will be the oldest to take over as the Prime Minister of France, since the Fifth Republic commenced in 1958. He succeeds Gabriel Attal, the youngest-ever to hold the post after his appointment in early 2024 and who has been serving as caretaker in the post since the July elections, the BBC reported.

The EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, who led talks with the UK government between 2016 and 2019, Barnier has held various senior posts, both in France and within the EU, during his long political career.

However, he now faces the challenge of a government that will need to survive a National Assembly divided into three big political blocs – the largest being the left-wing New Popular Front coalition, followed by Macron’s centrist Ensemble, and the far-right National Rally. The three hold nearly 500 seats in the 577-member Assembly and remains to be seen how Barnier will secure a majority – given all three are distant from majorities and a coalition between any two is difficult given their divergent ideologies.

Interestingly, Barnier had announced his plans to contest against Macron in the 2022 Presidential polls on a campaign plank of limiting immigration. However, he failed to be nominated by his party for the polls.

The Republicans are divided into two factions – with one allied to the Marine Le Pen-led National Rally.

Macron had earlier rejected the NFP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Lucie Castets, saying he was not sure that the leftist coalition could ensure a majority in the Assembly.