The leader of the Democratic Movement (MoDem), François Bayrou, who was received on Friday morning by the President of the Republic, succeeds him in the prime minister’s palace (Matignon) where the red carpet has already been laid and the microphones have been placed for the reception by the outgoing one, of the new prime minister, with the handover ceremony to be expected this afternoon.
He is the elected fourth head of government since his re-election in April 2022, as .
The President of the Republic appointed Mr. François Bayrou Prime Minister, and tasked him with forming a government.
— Élysée (@Elysee)
François Bairou has “undertaken the formation of a government,” the same announcement said, replacing Michel Barnier, who was voted out last week amid a political crisis over the country’s growing budget deficit.
The new prime minister together with the president of the Republic will proceed to form the new government structure and the major question that still exists is which political forces will support and staff it.
Bairou’s “who is who”.
The 73-year-old is a centrist veteran whose party has been part of Macron’s governing coalition since 2017.
A longtime mayor of the southwestern city of Pau, who has made his rural roots central to his political identity, he decided not to enter a fourth presidential race in 2017, instead rallying behind Macron.
Macron appointed Bairou as justice minister, but he resigned just weeks later amid an investigation into his party’s alleged fraudulent employment of parliamentary aides.
He was cleared of fraud charges this year.
