Bayrou, a 73-year-old stalwart of French centrism and one of President Emmanuel Macron’s earliest supporters, strong-armed Macron into appointing him last week. With this, France’s fourth government in a year, he has promised to reconcile a divided country.
But his first few days in office were marked by controversy and vain attempts at convincing opposition groups to join forces with him.
Xavier Bertrand, a conservative heavyweight and a longtime rival of Marine Le Pen, of the far-right, said an offer for him to become justice minister had been rescinded “due to [his] opposition to the National Rally,” he wrote in a statement.
“I refuse to take part in a government formed with Marine Le Pen’s approval,” he added.
Here are some of the Bayrou government appointees:
- Foreign affairs minister: Jean-Noël Barrot
- Defense minister: Sébastien Lecornu
- Economy and finance minister: Eric Lombard
- Junior minister for industry and energy: Marc Ferracci
- Junior minister for AI and tech: Clara Chappaz
Bayrou appears to have been unsuccessful in his first mission: building a broader base than Barnier in order to avoid a government collapse. The prime minister was hoping to bring in the center-left Socialist Party in order to build a majority but ultimately failed to do so, which means that like Barnier, he will helm a minority government.
The new government’s key challenges will include passing a budget — something Bayrou said he wants to accomplish before mid-February — and navigating a fractured French legislature with no clear majority.
