Who is François Bayrou, veteran centrist and Macron ally now new French prime minister

Bayrou’s Political Journey

Bayrou, 73, is the founder of the Democratic Movement (MoDem) party, has been a key member of Macron’s ruling alliance since 2017. A seasoned politician, he has run for president three times and has served as the long-time mayor of Pau in south-western France.

A former education minister, and mayor of the south-western town of Pau, Bayrou was appointed as justice minister in 2017, Bayrou resigned within weeks due to an investigation into alleged fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants by his party. He was cleared of fraud charges earlier this year.

Challenges of a Divided Parliament

While Bayrou is expected to announce his list of ministers in the coming days, he inherits a deeply divided parliament comprising three warring blocs, which will make pushing through legislation a formidable task. His close association with Macron, whose popularity has waned, could further complicate his efforts.

France’s ongoing political instability has not only raised doubts about Macron’s ability to complete his term, which ends in 2027, but has also led to higher borrowing costs and a perceived power vacuum in Europe. This comes at a time when Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House looms on the horizon.

However, following Barnier’s resignation, Macron held discussions with leaders across the political spectrum, excluding Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and the hard-left France Unbowed.

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) meets French centrist party MoDem (Mouvement Democrate) leader Francois Bayrou at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France. (Ludovic Marin/Pool photo via AP, File)

Thomas Cazeneuve, a centrist MP from Macron’s party, had described Bayrou as an experienced politician who had “the art of compromise”. Gabriel Attal, the former prime minister who currently heads Macron’s party in parliament, said of Bayrou: “At such a difficult moment for France, I know he has the qualities to defend the national interest and built the crucial stability French people want.”

Jordan Bardella, the president of Marine Le Pen’s far-right, anti-immigration National Rally party, said his party would not immediately back a no-confidence vote in the new government. But he said: “This new prime minister must understand that he has no majority in parliament”. Bardella said his party still had “red lines” on the budget and the new prime minister must talk to all political groups. “The ball is in François Bayrou’s court,” he said.

Bayrou, a political veteran, had raised hackles on both the left – who say he will continue Macron’s policies – and on the right, where he is personally disliked by the influential former president Nicolas Sarkozy, whom he ran against in the 2007 presidential race.

Macron’s immediate hope is that Bayrou can stave off no-confidence votes until at least July, when a new parliamentary election can be held. However, the prime minister’s ability to manage a fragmented National Assembly will determine his success.

Bayrou’s first significant challenge will come early next year when lawmakers debate the 2025 budget bill. The proposed budget aims to save €60 billion to reassure investors concerned about France’s 6% deficit. However, the bill’s austerity measures have already faced criticism from both the far-right and the far-left.

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