New government formed in France

The new government in France has been announced following 10 days of negotiations.

A written statement from the Élysée Palace announced that 73-year-old François Bayrou, from the center-right Democratic Movement (MoDem) party, who was appointed as prime minister, has formed the new government.

Accordingly, 66-year-old Eric Lombard, head of the French public institution Caisse des Dépôts, has been appointed as Minister of Finance. Conservative Party member Bruno Retailleau remains as Minister of the Interior, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot and Minister of Defense Sébastien Lecornu have also retained their seats.

Élisabeth Borne, who resigned as prime minister in January, has become the Minister of Education, while former Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has become the Minister of Justice. Manuel Valls has been appointed Minister for Overseas Territories, Catherine Vautrin as Minister of Labor, Annie Genevard as Minister of Agriculture, and Marie Barsacq as Minister of Youth and Sports.

Bayrou had been struggling to form a government for 10 days to prevent a vote of no confidence that could come from the far-right and the left.

AGENDA OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT

The Bayrou government must immediately begin work to pass the 2025 budget bill. The new government will be under pressure to close the deficit, which is expected to exceed 6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the year. French President Emmanuel Macron expects Bayrou to prevent a potential vote of no confidence at least until July.

FALL OF THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT

Meanwhile, a vote of no confidence was held in France after previous Prime Minister Michel Barnier chose to use special constitutional powers to push part of his budget plan—which aimed to provide 60 billion euros in savings to reduce the budget deficit and caused public backlash—through parliament without a final vote. The government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier, which failed to receive a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, fell, marking the first time since 1962 that a government in the country failed to receive a vote of confidence. On December 13, Macron appointed François Bayrou, leader of the center-right Democratic Movement party and a partner in his electoral alliance, as the new Prime Minister.

News Source: İHA