Macron appoints confidant: Divided response from the opposition to France’s new prime minister

In France, the appointment of centrist politician François Bayrou as the new prime minister met with a mixed response from the opposition. The coordinator of the Left Party, Manuel Bompard, immediately announced a motion of no confidence against President Emmanuel Macron’s confidant. Bayrou must be overthrown so that Macron can also fall, said the left-wing politician. Green Party leader Marine Tondelier threatened on BFMTV with a motion of no confidence if Macron wanted to continue his current policy with the new prime minister and keep important ministers in office.

The leader of the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN), Jordan Bardella, said that his party was not initially planning a motion of no confidence against the 73-year-old new prime minister. RN parliamentary group leader Marine Le Pen called on Bayrou to listen to the opposition and draw up a sensible and thoughtful budget.

Although the Socialists declared that they would not take part in the future government, they held out the prospect of waiving a motion of no confidence if Bayrou did not make himself dependent on the right-wing nationalists and sought a consensus on budget issues. The Conservatives, meanwhile, called a meeting in the afternoon to discuss their attitude towards the new prime minister.

In the dispute over an austerity budget, the Left Party and the Rassemblement National overthrew the previous government with the support of other opposition MPs just over a week ago. France urgently needs to tighten its belt, the EU Commission is conducting deficit proceedings against Paris due to excessive new debt.