Macron Appoints Francois Bayrou as New Prime Minister

France’s President Emmanuel Macron named Francois Bayrou as the new prime minister on Friday. 

The announcement follows the resignation of former Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who stepped down after losing a no-confidence vote last week.

Bayrou is France’s fourth prime minister this year, highlighting the country’s growing political crisis as normally diverging forces in the French political landscape seem to be joining forces in opposing Macron’s agenda for his second term in power.   

Bayrou is the leader of MoDem,a centrist party, and mayor of the small southwestern city of Pau.

According to the news website 20 Minutes, the 73-year-old prime minister ‘s political career began in the Pyrenees Atlantiques.

He was elected as a general councilor and then became a deputy.

In 2014 and 2020, he was elected as a mayor of Pau. Bayrou also served as president of the Pau Pyrenees agglomeration community from 2014 and 2020.

He was appointed as Minister of education in 1993, holding the position for over four years.

“Fighting against debt was one of his main focuses during his 2007 presidential campaign, where he received nearly nearly 19% of the votes,” 20 Minutes added.

Many other converging reports have also described France’s new prime Minister as a “loyal ally” of President Macron, whom he joined in 2017.

“Despite his loyalty to Macron, the new Prime Minister never failed to express his disagreements several times,” the 20 Minutes report added, noting this earned Bayrou the nickname “a perpetual troublemaker” from some close associates of the head of state.”

He also served as Minister of Justice and was placed at the head of the High Commissioner for Planning in 2020.