PARIS,
France
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday named the European Union's former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as new prime minister, the presidency announced.
Macron's office said he had
been asked to create "a unifying government in the service of the
country."
"This appointment comes
after an unprecedented cycle of consultations," the statement said.
Barnier's appointment follows
more than 50 days of caretaker government following snap elections that Macron
had called in June. At 73, he will be France's oldest
prime minister in modern history. He is more than twice the age of outgoing
premier Gabriel Attal.
Barnier's appointment comes
despite his conservative Republicans party (LR) suffering significant loses in
the June vote, and an alliance
of leftist parties securing the most seats in parliament. They did not,
however, secure an outright majority. Further complicating matters, Macron's
centrist coalition and a far-right group led by Marine Le Pen's National Rally
(RN) make up the other two largest groups.
Barnier has previously served
as France's foreign minister and agriculture minister. He is likely to face
immense challenges in a politically deadlocked parliament, including a possible
no-confidence vote from leftist
alliance the New Popular Front (NFP).
Hard-left leader Jean-Luc
Melenchon slammed the choice, saying Macron was essentially creating a
government that did not reflect the will of the people.
No comments:
Post a Comment