In a press conference held on Wednesday, France’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, announced that a new government will be formed by next week.
Barnier, a conservative, has been engaged in consultations with potential candidates for ministerial positions and has emphasized his commitment to a “methodical and serious approach”.
“We’re going to name a government next week,” Barnier told reporters in the eastern city of Reims.
Barnier, who has served as environment, foreign and agriculture minister and was the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, was named last week by President Emmanuel Macron as his compromise pick for head of government.
The new government will face significant challenges, including an unpredictable hung parliament, divided among three major political camps.
With no longer even a relative majority in parliament following his decision to dissolve the National Assembly, Macron delayed picking a PM for weeks over the summer as he tried to find someone who would not suffer an immediate no-confidence vote.
President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist supporters, the left-wing NFP alliance, and the far-right National Rally (RN) will all be vying for influence.
Barnier’s appointment is seen as a strategic move by Macron to find a compromise candidate who can navigate the complex political landscape.
With an October 1 deadline to file a draft government budget for 2025, Barnier is under pressure to assemble his team and prepare for a fierce battle over taxes and spending.
The political scene in France remains uncertain, with NFP leaders vowing to vote no confidence in any government not headed by them.
Meanwhile, rumours are swirling about potential ministerial appointments, with some prominent Socialists already declining invitations to join the government.
“For now, the names in circulation seem to be just wish lists of people wanting to receive a ministerial portfolio,” Politico’s French edition wrote Wednesday.
One prominent Socialist, Karim Bouamrane, mayor of the Paris suburb of Saint-Ouen, said he had turned down an invitation to serve.
“We have a right-wing prime minister approved by the RN, a prime minister under supervision,” Bouamrane told Franceinfo radio.