Macron names centrist ally Bayrou as PM

PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist leader Francois Bayrou as prime minister, handing him the daunting task of hauling France out of months of political crisis.

The 73-year-old head of the MoDem group which is allied to Macron´s party, was appointed nine days after parliament ousted Michel Barnier´s government in a historic no-confidence vote following a standoff over an austerity budget.

“The president of the Republic has appointed Mr Francois Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government,” the presidency said.

Bayrou´s appointment sparked immediate criticism, with the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party and the Greens threatening to back a new motion of censure aiming to bring down his government.

The announcement capped hours of drama that saw Bayrou summoned to an Elysee meeting followed by speculation Macron could name another figure amid reports the talks had been tense.

Bayrou is the sixth prime minister of Macron´s mandate after the toppling of Barnier, who became France´s shortest-serving prime minister lasting only three months.

He is also Macron´s fourth prime minister of 2024.

Bayrou faces an immediate challenge to form a cabinet that can survive a no-confidence vote in a divided parliament and thrash out a 2025 budget in a bid to limit economic turmoil. “Everyone knows how difficult the task is,” Bayrou told reporters.