The French president, Emmanuel Macronappointed this Monday his fourth government of the year, led by the centrist François Bayrouwho hopes to unblock the political crisis in a country where left-wing and far-right oppositions overthrew his predecessor.
In Bayrou’s cabinet, former prime ministers Elisabeth Borne and Franco-Spanish Manuel Valls They will lead respectively the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Overseas.
The former Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmaninwill hold the Justice portfolio, while the Defense ministers, Sebastian LecornuForeign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrotand Culture, Rachida Dati, They will keep their positions.
Another figure who remains in office is the conservative Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleauwhich promised a fierce fight against illegal immigration.
Political crisis in France
France has been mired in a political blockade for months, after early elections in July that fractured the lower house of Parliament into three large blocks.
The crisis has focused in recent weeks on disagreements between the executive and the opposition over the budget of the second economy of the European Union by 2025, which could not yet be voted on.
The difficult task of preparing them, under the pressure of significant fiscal deficits, will fall to the banker Eric Lombardappointed Minister of Economy.
“I am very proud of the team we presented tonight”Bayrou wrote in X, adding that his “experienced” cabinet would aim to “rebuild trust.”
Macron will bring together Bayrou’s team on January 3 for a first Council of Ministers, the presidency indicated.
“Support” of the extreme right
The inclusion of two former prime ministers indicates Macron’s desire to have a strong government, with stability that allows him to avoid the fate of the previous one, led by Michel Barnier and censured in early December due to an unprecedented confluence of the left-wing and political parties. far-right, critical of their austere budget projects.
Bayrou, 73, had hoped to bring in figures from the left, right and center to avoid suffering the same fate as Barnier, but his 35-member team does not include any members of the left-wing New Popular Front coalition.
Shortly before the official announcement was made, right-wing politician Xavier Bertrand, who was set to lead the Ministry of Justice, announced that he would not assume this position “due to opposition” from the far-right National Rally party (RN).
“Despite the new proposals [de Bayrou]I refuse to participate in a French government formed with the support of Marine Le Pen,” RN leader, Bertrand declared in a statement.
The prime minister, head of the centrist MoDem group – an ally of Macron’s party – was appointed on December 13. Many already predict that his government will have difficulty surviving.
The leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, considered in X that the new executive is “a provocation” and a “far-right” government.
RN spokesperson Jordan Bardella, for his part, considered that Bayrou had managed to form a “coalition of failure.”
Source: Ambito
