AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
French President Emmanuel Macron has named centrist leader Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, in an attempt to end a political crisis that has rocked the country for months.
Bayrou, a longtime ally of Macron, is the mayor of the southwestern French city of Pau and leader of the Democratic Movement (MoDem). His main task will be to ensure political stability and avoid the fate of his predecessor, who held the post for only a few months.
Bayrou has extensive political experience. He was Minister of National Education from 1993 to 1997, served as a member of the National Assembly for almost three decades, and was a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2002. He has been the mayor of Pau since 2014, where he enjoys the support of voters.
The appointment comes just nine days after lawmakers voted no confidence in former prime minister Michel Barnier, known as the chief Brexit negotiator. Macron, who is halfway through his second presidential term, is now counting on Bayrou as his fourth prime minister this year to reverse a political downturn.
French politics have been in a deadlock since early parliamentary elections this summer, which Macron called in an attempt to secure greater support in the National Assembly. The move, however, has failed to resolve deep divisions in French society and politics.
All eyes are now on Bayrou, whose political moves will be crucial to stabilizing the situation and enabling the implementation of the reforms Macron has promised his voters.