But majority questionable

Macron makes ex-EU Commissioner the new prime minister

January 2020: French President Emmanuel Macron (left) with Michel Barnier, then chief negotiator for the European Commission, a few hours before the UK officially left the European Union.

(Bild: AFP)

Less than two months after the parliamentary elections, France's head of state Emmanuel Macron has appointed former EU Commissioner Michel Barnier (73) as Prime Minister. However, it is questionable whether the conservative politician has a stable majority in parliament.

Macron has considered several people for the post in recent weeks. None of them were expected to have a sufficient parliamentary majority to form a stable government.

Struggle for a government with a majority
It remains to be seen whether Barnier will be able to put together a government with a majority. His conservatives had emphasized that they did not want to be part of a government. However, they are likely to at least tolerate a government led by Barnier.

Becomes prime minister in France: former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

The new prime minister is likely to have the support of the Macron camp. However, it is difficult to predict how he could get the necessary votes from the left-wing camp. It is possible that the far right will ultimately tolerate him - out of support for Barnier's restrictive positions on migration policy. The right-wing movement Rassemblement National (RN) has signaled that it would support Barnier under certain conditions.

Ex-Brexit negotiator for the EU
Barnier, 73, led the EU's Brexit talks with the UK from 2016 to 2021. Prior to his work as EU Commissioner, the conservative politician served in various French governments.

With the change of government, the liberal Macron will have to relinquish power. The prime minister of a different hue will become more important as head of government policy. Macron retains the upper hand in foreign policy.

Difficult tasks
The French constitution gives the head of state the freedom to appoint whoever he wants to the office of prime minister. The main challenge for Macron is to find a prime minister who does not have a majority against him and could therefore be toppled by a vote of no confidence. Regardless of its composition, the new government will face difficult tasks, first and foremost drawing up a budget for 2025.