Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has been appointed French prime minister.
After facing weeks of pressure following the tumultuous French elections, President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Mr Barnier to the post.
France has been in a state of flux since Mr Macron’s party lost its majority in parliament amid a rise in seats for Marine Le Pen’s far-right party.
Ms Le Pen has said National Rally will not be part of a government led by Mr Barnier, who faces a vote of confidence by MPs in order to be able to stand as the 68m-strong country’s prime minister.
Mr Barnier, who once described former UK prime minister Boris Johnson as a “bulldozer”, led the EU’s talks with Britain over its exit from the bloc from 2016 to 2021.
Prior to that, the conservative politician held roles in various French governments and was also EU Commissioner.
He is staunchly pro-European and has spent his career as a moderate politician, though he toughened his discourse considerably during his failed 2021 bid to get his conservative party’s ticket for the presidential election, saying immigration was out of control.
President Macron had considered a string of candidates for prime minister, searching for someone with enough support to guarantee a stable government.
National Rally president Jordan Bardella commented on Mr Barnier’s appointment in a post on X: “We will judge his general policy speech, his budgetary decisions and his actions on the spot.
“We will plead for the major emergencies facing the French people – purchasing power, security, immigration – to be finally addressed, and we reserve all political means of action if this is not the case in the coming weeks.”
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