The conservative Michel Barnierformer minister and former European Commissioner, was appointed this Thursday Prime Minister of France by the president Emmanuel Macronannounced the Elysium.
Barnier has been tasked with “forming a united government at the service of the country and the French people,” the French presidency said in a statement.
Barnier’s appointment comes “after an unprecedented round of consultations” in which the president “ensured himself that the prime minister and the next government would meet the conditions for the greatest possible stability.”
Her appointment was announced minutes after she left a private meeting with Macron at the Elysée Palace.
Barnier’s inauguration will take place this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. (14:00 GMT) at the Matignon Palaceofficial residence of the head of government.
Barnier, 73, will be the oldest prime minister of the Fifth Republic and will replace the youngest to hold the post, Gabriel Attalwho took office last January at the age of 34.
The appointment comes after two weeks of intense political consultations by Macron and on Saturday, two months after the second round of legislative elections, which left the National Assembly without a clear majority and deeply divided.
Barnier was selected by Macron after other figures he had previously considered had come up against vetoes from the left and the far right, which are two of the three major blocs in the current National Assembly.
The national secretary of the green party, Marine Tondelieraccused Macron of “submitting” to the far-right leader, Maine Le Penas the latter had threatened to censure other potential prime ministers, including the also conservative Xavier Bertrand.
«In the end we know who decides. Her name is Marine Le Pen. It is to her that Macron has decided to submit»Tondelier criticised, speaking to FranceInfo.
The new Prime Minister has extensive political experience in France and in the institutions of the European Union.
His last position was as European negotiator for Brexit between 2016 and 2021, after having been European Commissioner on two occasions: Internal Market (2010-14) and Regional Policy (1999-2004).
He was Foreign Minister between 2004-05 during the presidency of Jacques Chiracand Agriculture between 2007-09 with Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysée Palace, and before that he had been Minister of the Environment and European Affairs.
In a long political career that began in 1973, he has also been a member of the European Parliament and a deputy and senator in France. EFE (I)
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