Francois Bayrou takes helm as French PM amid political storm, budget crisis

Veteran centrist Francois Bayrou, named France’s new prime minister, will have to navigate a fractured Parliament to pass the 2025 budget.

According to Reuters, like his predecessor, Michel Barnier, his government will face challenges from far-right and left-wing factions.

Why it matters

Bayrou’s task is monumental—managing a volatile political landscape while attempting to address France’s budget deficit and mounting public discontent.

With significant opposition already in place, his ability to keep the peace and pass key legislation is uncertain.

Details

• Bayrou’s appointment as prime minister follows Barnier’s ouster, marking the first time France’s parliament voted to remove a government since 1962.
• One of Bayrou’s earliest tasks will be securing a budget for 2025 amid contentious negotiations over government spending and pension reforms.
• Bayrou, a long-time advocate of centrism, is seen as the “most consensual” leader to unite the country, though critics see him as part of the status quo.
• The far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, insists on pension reforms, including indexing pensions to inflation, which could become a major point of contention.

Bayrou’s government is stepping into a political storm, with rising debt, protests, and opposition from multiple factions.

The political climate could make it difficult to implement fiscal reforms, with the far-right and left-wing parties poised to block or derail key decisions.