Bayrou, a longtime figure of French centrist politics, and one of Macron’s earliest supporters, was long seen as front runner after lawmakers from the far right and left united to torpedo Michel Barnier’s government last week.
Bayrou and Macron met for nearly two hours Friday morning. French media initially reported that the meeting was tense and Bayrou’s odds of getting the job had diminished.
The choice appeared to be one that was debated until the last minute. Macron missed a self-imposed deadline to name a new premier by Thursday, after which his office told reporters that a new prime minister would be named Friday morning. The statement from the Elysée was emailed to reporters shortly before 1 p.m. in Paris.
Macron’s decision came so late that employees at the Matignon palace, the residency of the French prime minister, had rolled out the red carpet but could not determine what height they should set up the new PM’s microphone for the official transfer ceremony later in the day, a journalist on the scene from Agence France Presse said on X.
Barnier’s administration was toppled last week after trying to pass a slimmed-down social security budget to rein in France’s massive deficit.
Bayrou is expected to name a government in the coming days.
AzVision.az
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