Who is new France PM Michel Barnier? Why did his appointment take so long?

Who is Michel Barnier? Why did the President take so long to appoint a new PM? What comes next for France?

Who is Michel Barnier?

Hailing from Haute-Savoie in the French Alps, Michel Barnier is a career politician who is best known as the EU’s chief negotiator with Britain during the Brexit talks in 2016.

He has had a storied political career of over 50 years, serving as France’s foreign, European affairs, environment and agriculture minister, and two terms as the France European commissioner. He belongs to The Republicans (LR) party, and had challenged Macron for the presidency in 2022.

At 73, Barnier will be the Fifth Republic’s oldest prime minister.

What was the outcome of the French parliamentary polls? Why did it take so long for Macron to appoint a PM?

After the second round of voting, tactical withdrawals by the centrist and leftist coalitions successfully thwarted the far right National Rally’s (RN’s) march to power. Eventually, RN finished with 142 seats, the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) won 188 seats, and Macron’s centrist Ensemble won 161 seats.

However, France now had a hung house, with no party or coalition getting close to the majority of 289 seats.

Subsequently, Macron called for “republican forces” (centrist parties) to unite to form the government.

“…I ask all political forces that recognise themselves in republican institutions, the rule of law, parliamentarianism, a European orientation and the defence of French independence, to engage in a sincere and loyal dialogue to build a solid, necessarily plural, majority for the country,” he said in a July 10 letter published in some French newspapers.

Crucially, this made it clear that Macron did not wish to align himself with the leftist LFI.

According to the French system, the power to appoint the prime minister rests solely with the president. While there is pressure to appoint someone from the largest party in parliament, the president is “under no legal obligation” to do so.

On July 23, he announced no transfer of power would happen until the conclusion of the Paris Olympics. After the Olympics ended on August 12, Macron resumed talks with parties.

The NFP asserted its right to form the government with 37-year old economist and civil servant Lucie Castets as PM, while conservative parties and Ensemble allies vowed to vote no-confidence if a leftist government comes to power.

Eventually, Macron turned to RN’s Marine Le Pen to build consensus on a candidate, reiterating that no leftist will come to power. According to Le Monde, Macron has relied extensively on Le Pen’s inputs to make his selection.

This is an updated version of an explainer published on September 1.