from left to right, the 22 names mentioned until the nomination of Michel Barnier

The Elysée has finally chosen a prime minister, seven weeks after the results of the legislative elections. Michel Barnier, former Brexit negotiator for the European Union and former RPR then UMP (now Les Républicains) minister, will be Gabriel Attal’s successor, the Elysée announced on September 5.

This announcement marks the end of a political saga that has lasted all summer, since the outcome of the July 7 vote, which saw the New Popular Front (NFP) coalition come first in a National Assembly divided into three large antagonistic blocs: left, center and National Rally (RN), with Les Républicains (LR) in fourth position.

From internal divisions in the left alliance to “chewing” endless campaign of the President of the Republic, from the spontaneous candidacies of Clémentine Autain and Ségolène Royal to the quasi-campaign of Lucie Castets, via the trial balloons Karim Bouamrane, Xavier Bertrand and Thierry Beaudet, a look back at the very varied profiles of the “prime ministerial candidates” who succeeded one another throughout the summer and who were dismissed one by one.