France's new goverment

 

With France's new government announced, Bayrou hopes to move the country forward

France's Prime minister François Bayrou unveiled his top ministers on Monday night after protracted talks with party chiefs across the political spectrum. The Prime Minister said he needed heavyweight figures to distinguish himself from his predecessor, Michel Barnier, but most of the key ministers remain unchanged.

The team was unveiled just before 7pm local time, 6pm GMT, after postponements over the weekend, an illustration of a chaotic start at Matignon for many observers of French politics.

Former prime minister Elisabeth Borne has been named Education minister.

Former Socialists Manuel Valls and François Rebsamen enter the government as minister for Overseas territories and minister in charge of decentralisation, respectively.

Former interior minister Gerald Darmanin has also been nominated again as members of Bayrou's team as Justice minister.

Outgoing interior minister Bruno Retailleau, a conservative who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, is also keeping his job, as well as right-wing culture minister Rachida Dati, Jean-Noel Barrot for foreign affairs and defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

The government will meet for the first time on 3 January at 10am Paris time.

Xavier Bertrand, who had been offered the Justice ministry, stated that he would not join Bayrou's government, because it was "formed with the approval of Marine Le Pen."

Repeated delays

The Elysee presidential palace said on Monday morning the new cabinet would not be announced before 6pm Paris time due to the day of mourning for the victims in the cyclone-hit French overseas territory of Mayotte.

Cyclone Chido swept through the Indian Ocean archipelago on 14 December. At least 35 people have been confirmed dead and more than 2,500 injured. The death toll is expected to rise due to the number of undocumented migrants on the island.

Meanwhile, after nine days of convoluted consultations, Macron named François Bayrou, 73, heads the liberal Democratic Movement (MoDem) party, as the new Prime Minister on 13 December, who had first promised to present a government this past weekend.

Both Bayou and Macron have come under fire for their handling of the crisis in Mayotte. Bayrou flew to his home city of Pau for a local mayoral event and Macron lost his temper in front of TV cameras while in Mayotte to assess the extent of the damage.

Deadlock

French politics has been deadlocked since Macron gambled on snap elections last summer, as the choice backfired when no party or alliance secured a majority, and the left arrived first in the new National Assembly.

After weeks of pause, then difficult discussions, Macron finally named former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier prime minister on 5 September 2024.

But France has since been plunged into chaos this month when the far right and left joined forces to oust Barnier, the shortest lived premier in the Fifth Republic which began in 1958.

Bayrou was finally appointed by Macron on 13 December, hoping that his new administration would be presented before 22 December, or "in any case before Christmas".

Macron and Bayrou held a series of talks last Sunday 22 but, contrary to expectations, the composition of a new administration was not announced.

"The length of this auditioning process... is unbearable," far-right National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy told broadcaster BFMTV-RMC.

Priority to the budget

Bayrou keeps saying his priority is to make sure his government can survive another no-confidence vote and that it passes a budget for next year.

He is hoping to bring in figures from the left, right and centre to protect his government from possible censure but exclude the hard left and far-right.

Bayrou is the sixth prime minister of Macron's mandate, and the fourth of 2024.

But many commentators are already predicting Bayrou's premiership will be short-lived, as most ministers were already present in the past two governments that failed.

Bayrou has also endured a tumultuous first week as premier. A new poll by Ifop for the Journal du Dimanche weekly (JDD) found 66 percent of respondents were unhappy with his performance. Only 34 percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with Bayrou.

Going back to 1959, Ifop said it had not seen such a low rating for a prime minister starting the job.

Bayrou is expected to give a policy speech to parliament on 14 January.

Hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed party (LFI) has vowed to table a motion of no confidence against him and his government.

The main uncertainty will be around the reaction of the far-right, which holds almost 30 percent of the seats at the French National Assembly.