French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday appointed centrist leader François Bayrou as the new prime minister of France. Bayrou, the 73-year-old leader of the MoDem party, allied with Macron’s, takes over after a no-confidence vote ousted the previous government nine days prior.
“The President of the Republic has appointed Mr Francois Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government,” the French presidency said.. This marks Macron’s sixth prime minister and fourth this year alone. The previous prime minister, Michel Barnier, served only three months, becoming the shortest-serving in French history.
Bayrou has been active in French politics for many years. With no single party holding a majority in the national assembly, Bayrou’s experience is seen as crucial for restoring stability.
Bayrou was recently acquitted in a case involving the alleged misuse of European parliament funds.
