The Élysée Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Michel Barnier, the former European negotiator for Brexit, as Prime Minister, replacing Gabriel Attal.
The statement mentioned that “the President of the Republic has appointed Mr. Michel Barnier as Prime Minister and tasked him with forming a unified government to serve the country and the French people.”
The statement further clarified that this appointment follows “an unprecedented series of consultations, during which the President, in accordance with his constitutional duties, emphasized that the Prime Minister and the forthcoming government would need to ensure conditions as stable as possible, while seeking to unite the ranks as broadly as possible.”
Thus, Michel Barnier, a right-wing figure who led Brexit negotiations from 2016 to 2020, will be responsible for forming a new government that will need to quickly address the country’s unprecedented political situation, particularly with the upcoming 2025 budget.
Michel Barnier, a seasoned diplomat and consensus-builder, has served in the French government on four occasions, holding positions as Minister of the Environment (1993-1995), Minister for European Affairs (1995-1997), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2004-2005), and finally Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (2007-2009).
He also served as European Commissioner twice and was a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and 2010, before being tasked in 2016 with negotiating the UK’s departure conditions on behalf of the European Union.
