France's new PM: will Bayrou bring stability?
Just days after the French centre-right government under Michel Barnier was toppled, President Emmanuel Macron has appointed François Bayrou, a centrist politician, as the new prime minister. Europe's press discusses whether Bayrou can be trusted to form a stable majority and the challenges that lie ahead for his government.
Make sweeping cuts and calm the tensions
L'Opinion advises passivity:
“Mr Bayrou, France needs your very proven talent for standing still. ... For 2025, you should take over the 2024 budget and cut all expenditures by three percent across the board, with no exceptions. On the one hand, this will clearly put France back on a serious trajectory. ... On the other, it will prevent any complaints by countering them with: 'We're all in this together. End of story.' ... Any exceptions would spark controversy and lead to a vote of no confidence. ... And above all, Mr Bayrou: no more shouting matches in parliament! ... Two years of calm in parliament? Wow! You'll see, the French will love you for it.”
The French have had enough of the deadlock
Bayrou must be bold, La Libre Belgique demands:
“With a deficit that exceeds that of Belgium, a staggeringly high public debt and a population 87 percent convinced of the country's decline, the need for courageous decisions has never been more pressing. ... The inveterate centrist François Bayrou must try to reconcile the French and get the country out of the political quicksand in which its democracy is gradually sinking. ... To do that, he must recognise the full extent of the problem and perhaps rely on his fellow citizens' growing discontent in the face of their leaders' inaction. ... This weariness with political games could unexpectedly work in the Bayrou government's favour.”
Pushing through cuts will be no easy task
Público does not see Prime Minister François Bayrou fundamentally changing the situation:
“Like Barnier, he will have to negotiate with the right and the left and finds himself in a very difficult economic situation with a deficit of up to six percent and a national debt that has already surpassed that of Spain and Portugal. ... The markets are already showing warning signs. The French don't like austerity measures and they're quick to take to the streets to protest. In other words, France seems to have fallen into the trap of a political blockade that is guaranteed by the extremes, and the end of which is not in sight.”
If anyone, then him
Macron has picked the best of a bad bunch, writes Oliver Meiler, France correspondent for the Süddeutsche Zeitung:
“Bayrou is no Macronist. He was central to Macron's rise to power in 2017, and is seen as a kingmaker. But Bayrou is first and foremost Bayrou: well-known and popular. He has a very distinct political outlook and a long history with the French. He was a centrist when Macron was still a child, but a true one. On economic and social issues Bayrou is closer to the left than to the liberals. In social and political matters the Catholic secularist tends toward tradition. If anyone can manage to stay in office a little longer despite the upheavals in parliament, it's him. But for how long?”
Macron turned a deaf ear again
El País weighs up the situation:
“Bayrou is a politician known for his ability to engage in dialogue, which is essential in view of the fragmentation. ... However, there are serious doubts about his real ability to work with a minimum of efficiency and stability. The July election results suggested that a moderate progressive would be more appropriate, but Macron has once again turned a deaf ear. ... Bayrou is a questionable choice, but for the good of France and the EU he must try to govern bearing in mind that the progressive bloc secured first place at the polling stations. This means that he must propose measures that can secure him the support of the most constructive and responsible members of the Nouveau Front populaire.”
Le Pen is the kingpin
As the figurehead of the Rassemblement National, Marine Le Pen is now pulling the strings, writes The Times:
“It was her decision to join the motion of no confidence in Mr Barnier proposed by the alliance of left-wing parties that scuppered his chances of remaining in office beyond the brief three months. ... She is unlikely to join another vote of no confidence in Mr Bayrou, already signalled by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the hard-left leader. That risks ditching a decade of careful efforts to build up her image as a responsible politician of the right who will act in the country’s interests. Mr Bayrou hopes to extinguish the Le Pen threat by fixing a truce with the Socialists and Greens.”