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A week after former Prime Minister Michel Barnier was forced to step down due to a vote of no confidence in his minority government, the announcement was made on Friday.
Longtime Macron ally Bayrou, a 73-year-old veteran politician and the founder of the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem), backed Macron’s 2017 presidential campaign.
The seasoned politician, who is also the mayor of Pau, assumes office during a period of intense political polarization, as both the far-left and far-right parliamentary blocs are opposing Macron’s government.
When Barnier’s government’s proposed 2025 budget, which included tax increases of €60 billion, was not approved, the political turmoil started.
His contentious choice to forego a parliamentary vote on the budget provoked criticism, drawing opponents from both the left and the right, and he resigned after only three months in office.
According to CNN, Bayrou must finalise and pass the 2025 budget by December 21 to avoid a government shutdown. The administration may implement a “fiscal continuity law” if that deadline is missed, which would allow for the continuation of essential government functions with spending caps set at 2024 levels.
