President Macron Appoints France’s Oldest Prime Minister in History
Former EU negotiator Michel Barnier, aged 73, has been appointed as France’s new Prime Minister by President Emmanuel Macron, despite opposition from various political parties.
On September 5, the Élysée Palace announced that President Emmanuel Macron had appointed former EU negotiator Michel Barnier as Prime Minister with the task of forming a “united government in service of the nation.” Barnier represented the European Union (EU) in negotiations with London between 2016 and 2021 to finalize the UK’s exit from the bloc (Brexit).
With nearly 50 years in politics, Barnier has been closely associated with center-right political views, supporting liberalism and European integration. However, after completing the Brexit negotiations, he shifted to more right-wing stances, advocating for stricter policies on immigration and security. He ran for president in 2022 but was defeated by Macron in the race to represent the center-right coalition.
At 73, Barnier becomes the oldest prime minister in modern French history.
Macron’s latest appointment contrasts sharply with his previous choice. Barnier’s predecessor, Gabriel Attal, was appointed Prime Minister on January 9 at the age of 34, making him the youngest head of government in France’s history. However, Attal failed to lead the center-right coalition to victory in the mid-year parliamentary elections. After two rounds of voting in June and July, the French Parliament was almost evenly divided between three groups: the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP) with over 190 seats, Macron’s center-right alliance with 160 seats, and the far-right National Front (RN) led by Marine Le Pen, with 140 seats.
No faction secured an overwhelming majority, and the refusal of the groups to compromise has plunged France into political deadlock, preventing the formation of a new government. Attal has served as interim Prime Minister for nearly two months.
At the end of last month, President Macron rejected the NFP’s candidate for prime minister, triggering widespread criticism and impeachment threats from left-wing leaders. NFP members warned they would not accept any candidate other than their nominee.
Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized Macron for “stealing the election” by appointing Michel Barnier as the new prime minister. Green Party leader Marine Tondelier, a member of the NFP, accused Macron of yielding to far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
A French minister revealed to AFP that Barnier was selected because “he has the ear of the right-wing in parliament and won’t overly antagonize the left,” and might also persuade the far-right to cooperate.
RN leader Jordan Bardella extended a message of cooperation, emphasizing that his party would evaluate Barnier based on his capabilities. Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen, head of the far-right in the French parliament, said her party would wait for Barnier’s policy statements before deciding whether to support or oppose the new prime minister.
