“Let’s get to work!” Michel Barnier spoke for the first time as head of government during his handover of power with Gabriel Attal, this Thursday, September 5, on the steps of the Hôtel de Matignon.
Appointed by Emmanuel Macron in the afternoon, the new Prime Minister confided that he was “approaching this new page with great humility”. Aware of being “in a serious moment”, he promised to respond to “the challenges, the anger, the suffering, the feeling of abandonment and injustice that are far too common in our cities, our neighbourhoods and our countryside”.
“School will remain the government’s priority,” he declared, also promising to work on “access to public services,” “controlling immigration” and “financial and ecological debts.” “I will do everything to live up to it,” he promised, advocating a policy of “appeasement.”
“A unifying government”
Emmanuel Macron on Thursday appointed former right-wing minister and former European Commissioner Michel Barnier, 73, as prime minister, 60 days after the second round of legislative elections which resulted in a National Assembly without a majority.
The oldest Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic thus succeeds Gabriel Attal, 35, who was the youngest, appointed only eight months ago and resigned 51 days ago, at Matignon. He will have to try to form a government capable of surviving a parliamentary censure, to put an end to the most serious political crisis since 1958.
The president “tasked him with forming a unifying government to serve the country and the French people,” the Élysée Palace said in a statement. Emmanuel Macron “ensured that the Prime Minister and the future government would meet the conditions to be as stable as possible and give themselves the chance to unite as broadly as possible,” the presidency added.
While the left-wing parties have promised to vote for Michel Barnier’s censure, the National Rally and its 126 deputies are waiting to hear the new Prime Minister’s general policy speech before making a decision.
- BFMTV.com
