Paris (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron was meeting with allies and political leaders on Thursday (5) as he sought to quickly name a new prime minister, a day after far-right parliamentarians and left-wing.
François Bayrou, whose name is often mentioned in French media as a possible successor to Barnier, would have lunch with Macron, the newspaper reported The Parisian and other press vehicles. Bayrou is a veteran centrist politician and a close ally of Macron.
Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who is leaving office, is also mentioned as a possible candidate for prime minister. There is still no news of a possible meeting between Macron and him.
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Three sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Macron intended to name a replacement quickly, and one said he wanted to do so before a ceremony on Saturday to reopen Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was renovated after a devastating fire. United States President-elect Donald Trump is among the world leaders expected to attend.
Allies of Macron himself joined the chorus calling for quick action. After early elections in late June and early July, Macron took almost two months to nominate Barnier.
“I recommend that he proceed quickly with the appointment of a prime minister, it is important, we must not leave things up in the air,” said the president of the National Assembly, Yael Braun-Pivet, on France Inter radio, before meeting with Macron for around noon.
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Macron, who is expected to make a televised address to the nation in the evening, will also meet with the president of the Senate, French media reported.
Barnier, a veteran conservative who became prime minister just three months ago, will become the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history when Macron approves his resignation.
The two men met for more than an hour on Thursday morning, according to French media. Barnier submitted his resignation during the meeting, and Macron asked him to remain on an interim basis until a new prime minister is named.
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Turbulence
The political turmoil in France further weakens the European Union, which is already reeling from the implosion of Germany’s coalition government, and comes just weeks before Trump’s return to the White House.
Any new prime minister will face the same challenges that led to Barnier’s downfall, notably passing the 2025 Budget in a deeply divided Parliament at a time when France needs to repair ailing public finances.
“This is the logical conclusion of what France and its parliamentarians are at the moment: a mess,” Paulo, a 75-year-old Parisian, told Reuterscommenting on the latest events.
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Macron precipitated the current crisis with an ill-fated decision to call . He has a term until 2027 but is facing increasing calls to resign.
“The main culprit for the current situation is Emmanuel Macron,” said Marine Le Pen, from the far-right National Rally (RN), to TV TF1 on Wednesday night.
A French president cannot be removed unless two-thirds of parliamentarians decide that he has seriously failed to fulfill his role, according to an article of the Constitution.
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Some 64% of voters want Macron to resign, according to the Toluna Harris Interactive poll for broadcaster RTL.
Political uncertainty has been worrying investors in French sovereign bonds and stocks for weeks.
French bonds and stocks rallied on Thursday in what some traders said was profit-taking following the widely expected outcome of the no-confidence vote. But the recovery is unlikely to be lasting, given the scale of political uncertainty.
