French President Emmanuel Macron to announce new prime minister today

French President Emmanuel Macron will announce the new prime minister on Friday morning following the resignation of France Prime Minister Michel Barnier last week, Al Jazeera reported.

"The statement naming the prime minister will be published tomorrow morning," the Elysee presidential palace said on Thursday after Macron returned early from a trip to Poland.

Barnier stepped down after just three months in office, marking the shortest tenure of any prime minister in modern French history, as per Al Jazeera.

On December 5, while addressing the nation from the Elysee Palace. Macron vowed to continue his five-year mandate despite the recent no-confidence vote that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

 

Macron also emphasised his responsibility to ensure the continuity of the state, the proper functioning of institutions, and the protection of the French people.

"Finally, the mandate that you democratically entrusted to me is a five-year mandate, and I will exercise it fully until its end. My responsibility requires ensuring the continuity of the State, the proper functioning of our institutions, the independence of our country, and the protection of all of you," he said.

He added, "I have been doing this from the beginning, at your side, through social crises, the Covid-19 epidemic, the return of war, inflation and so many trials that we have shared," Elysee said.

Macron also vowed to appoint a new prime minister within days.

Macron's rumored top choice for the position is Francois Bayrou. However, Bayrou's potential appointment has sparked controversy, with some individuals on the left expressing concerns that he will continue to implement Macron's policies.

According to Al Jazeera, Bayrou is not well-liked by some members of the right, including former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Other contenders for the Prime Minister position include Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, current Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a Macron loyalist, and former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Polls indicate the French public is fed up with the crisis. Just more than two-thirds of respondents to an Elabe poll published on Wednesday said they want politicians to reach a deal, not overthrow a new government.

Notably, the 331 members of the 577-seat lower house of the French parliament voted to remove Barnier's centrist minority government, throwing the country into political instability as it faces a growing budget deficit, Al Jazeera reported.

The vote was triggered by far-left and far-right opposition parties after Barnier used special powers to push through budget measures without parliamentary approval.

Barnier's government became the first in more than six decades to be toppled by a no-confidence vote.