In his first statement after announcing his appointment, France’s new prime minister Francois Bairro said he is aware of the difficulties his government will face as France is currently a deeply divided country and there is no clear parliamentary majority.

“Everyone knows the road will be long,” Bayrou told reporters from the BFM television network as he left his offices.

French President Emmanuel Macron today announced the appointment of François Bairroux as Prime Minister, the third in line in 2024, after repeated consultations. In fact, earlier there had been a thriller surrounding Bairou’s choice with the French media reporting that President Macron had rejected his appointment.

Francois Bairro’s new government will replace that of Michel Barnier, who was voted down by parliament last week, plunging France into its second major political crisis in six months.

France’s political crisis stems from its growing budget deficit, which stands at 6.1% – up from 5.5% last year and above the 4.4% forecast for the end of 2024. Macron’s office said the law for the 2025 budget will allow the French state to continue operating will be discussed in December.

The number one challenge for France’s new prime minister will be to get the 2025 budget approved by a majority in the deeply divided National Assembly.

In the end, choosing a new prime minister turned out to be even more difficult than expected.

The centrist Francois Bairou, a close ally of Macron, and his name was often mentioned to succeed Barnier. The 73-year-old Bayrou and the French president had a meeting in the morning at the Elysee.

The president of the centrist Democratic Movement party had a parallel telephone conversation yesterday, Thursday, evening with Macron.

According to France 24, the handover of power to Matignon between former Prime Minister Barnier and his successor is expected to take place late Friday afternoon, French officials say.