Michel Barnier, the new French PM, promises a ‘new era’

Michel Barnier has been made France’s new Prime Minister and has promised to address feelings of anger, abandonment, and injustice with a ‘new era’ and a break from the past.

The French president Emmanuel Macron has appointed Barnier to the role after two months of political paralysis since the snap election in June. Barnier is France’s oldest PM, at 73 years old. In his first day in one of France’s top political roles, he pledged to prioritise education, security, and immigration.

Barnier Becomes PM Despite Coming Fourth in Election

Macron’s snap election ended in a hung parliament and revealed deep divides in the political landscape. Tactical voting saw a leftwing coalition defeat Marine Le Pen’s National Rally to become the biggest political force in the country. However, the coalition fell short of an absolute majority. Macron enraged the left by refusing to let them form a government after other parties claimed they would vote it down.

Macron’s centrists and the far right make up the two other major forces in parliament. Barnier’s party Les Républicains, came fourth with only 47 seats.

Barnier’s Appointment Met with Dismay by Left

Barnier’s appointment was met with dismay and rage by the left, which will now seek to topple him with a no-confidence vote. The Socialist party leader, Olivier Faure, described Macron’s decision to appoint a prime minister from the country’s fourth political party as a ‘denial of democracy.’ Faure said: ‘We’re entering a crisis of regime.’

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, of the leftwing party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), echoed Faure’s thoughts, saying the election had been ‘stolen’ from the French people. The left will be even more disheartened to see that Macron appears to be relying on Le Pen’s far-right party to keep Barnier in power by voting against the proposed no-confidence vote.

Barnier- and Macron- Shift to the Right

Barnier has been a mainstay of French politics for almost 50 years. Known as centrist and liberal-minded, Barnier was committed to the European cause. He shocked many with a seeming lurch to the right in 2021, voicing a hardened stance of immigration and security.

This mirrors Macron’s similar shift to the right. Recent reforms have seen a rise in the pension age from 62 to 64 and a much more hardline immigration law. While Macron’s team argue that France itself has moved more to the right, the leftwing alliance winning the biggest share of seats would suggest the opposite.

Barnier has served twice as an EU commissioner and became a household name in Britain in his role in negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU. His career has also seen stints as a minister under presidents Jacque Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.

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