French President Emmanuel Macron has named Michel Barnier, a loyal veteran of the right-wing Republican Right party, as his new prime minister after a two-month political deadlock. Barnier, the former Brexit negotiator, now faces a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament, and must navigate a political crisis.
Barnier, 73, will be the oldest prime minister of the Fifth Republic at the time of his appointment. Born in Savoie in 1951, Barnier began his political career at 14 and has served as European Commissioner twice. His career has bounced between Paris and Brussels, and he has held various ministerial positions in France.
From being a ministerial advisor to an MEP and Commissioner for Internal Market and Services in Brussels, Barnier’s role as the EU’s chief negotiator for Brexit earned him significant praise and admiration in EU circles. Despite failing to secure the French presidency in 2022, he now appears to be headed towards the second-highest office in the land.
The appointment of Barnier comes amid a fragmented parliament, with three near-equal blocs vowing not to work with each other. While Macron has struggled to find a prime minister who can rally enough votes from MPs, Barnier’s appointment has received backlash from various political groups.
As he faces the challenge of securing enough support in parliament to survive the no-confidence vote, Barnier must navigate through the divided political landscape to effectively govern as France’s new prime minister.
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