Macron defies election and appoints right-wing prime minister in France

French President Emmanuel Macron has overturned the results of early legislative elections and appointed right-wing former Foreign Minister Michel Barnier as the country’s new prime minister on Thursday (5).

Macron’s appointment marks the end of a political impasse that has lasted since the second round of legislative elections on July 7. “The President of the Republic has appointed Michel Barnier as Prime Minister and has tasked him with forming a unity government at the service of the country and the French people,” said a statement from the Elysee Palace.

“This appointment comes after an unprecedented cycle of consultations, during which, in accordance with his constitutional duty, the president ensured that the government will meet the conditions to be as stable as possible,” the note adds.

In July, the French went to the polls to isolate the far right, which had seen substantial electoral growth. The final result of the election, however, placed the New Popular Front (NFP) in first place with 182 seats secured in the National Assembly, followed by the Macronist coalition with 168 seats. The fascist National Rally party reached the number of 143 seats.

The leader of the left-wing France Insoumise party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said the elections were “stolen”. “Barnier does not come from the New Popular Front, which won the elections, but from a party that got fewer votes. This is a denial of democracy,” he said. “It is a denial of the will of the French people,” Mélenchon said.

The leader of France Insoumise (LFI) harshly criticized the fact that Barnier was appointed “with the permission and perhaps the suggestion” of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, despite efforts to contain his advance in the last elections.

At the end of August, the leader of the far right and president of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen, was received by Macron at the Elysée to discuss the succession to the post of prime minister.

Mélenchon said his coalition does not believe “for a moment” that it will be possible to form a majority in the National Assembly with Barnier as standard bearer, and called for a demonstration for next Saturday (7).

With a semi-presidential system, France composes its Executive Branch with the President, elected by popular and democratic vote, who occupies the position of head of State, and the Prime Minister, head of Government, who is responsible for forming a government and a ministerial cabinet for the country.

Barnier, 73, has served as the EU’s environment minister (1993-1995), European relations minister (1995-1997), foreign affairs minister (2004-2005) and agriculture minister (2007-2009), as well as EU commissioner for regional policies (1999-2004) and internal market (2010-2014). He also led the EU delegation in the Brexit negotiations.

The politician will be the oldest prime minister in the history of the French Fifth Republic, which began in 1958, and will replace the youngest, Gabriel Attal, aged 35.

Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party has called the new prime minister a “fossil of political life”, but has said it will not present an “immediate motion of censure” in Parliament.