Turmoil awaits Michel Barnier, France’s new prime minister
EconomistAug 25
France: Macron Names Michel Barnier as New Prime Minister
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Above: Michel Barnier, then European Union (EU) chief negotiator, gestures as he delivers a speech during a conference about "Brexit : divorce or fresh start" on April 16, 2021 in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France. Image copyright: Sylvain Lefevre/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
French Pres. Emmanuel Macron on Thursday appointed Michel Barnier of the conservative Les Républicains party to replace Gabriel Attal as prime minister, in an attempt to break the longest political deadlock in the history of the country's Fifth Republic.
Aged 73, Barnier is a veteran politician who has served as French foreign minister, European commissioner in Brussels, and EU Brexit negotiator during his half-century political career.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
France has been struggling to find a way out of this political crisis, so there's no better name to take over as prime minister than Michel Barnier. Despite being little known in his own country, his proven negotiating skills and long experience in building consensus in Brussels will be key in dealing with a fractured National Assembly.
Right narrative
Macron's centrists and the French left joined forces in the snap elections to try to prevent the victory of the National Rally, but to no avail. Now that Barnier has been appointed as prime minister, it's clear that Le Pen's right-wing party is the political grouping that will need to be satisfied if the president really wants to ensure stability.
Left narrative
It's utterly unacceptable that Macron has decided to go over the heads of the popular vote and appoint the conservative Michel Barnier with the support of the far-right, despite the left-progressive New Popular Front emerging as the clear winner in the latest snap elections. Yet again, Macron has shown his blatant disregard for democracy.
