Aftertwomonthsofsearching,Macronselected73-year-oldBarnierforthetopgovernmentrole.ThedecisionfollowedanelectionthatleftFrancewithahungparliament—nosinglepartygainedaclearmajority.Barnier,aseasonedpoliticianandtheEU’sformerBrexitnegotiator,wastaskedwithaddressingthecountry’seconomicandpoliticalproblems.However,thedecisiondidn’tsitwellwithmany.
Theleft,particularlytheFranceUnbowed(LFI)partyledbyJean-LucMélenchon,reactedstrongly,accusingMacronofunderminingdemocracy.TheyarguethatthepresidentignoredtheresultsoftheJulyelections,wheretheNewPopularFront(NFP)alliancecameoutontop.Macron’srefusaltoappointaprimeministerfromthewinningpartyhasbeenviewedbymanyasablatantdisregardfordemocraticprinciples.
MassiveprotestseruptedacrossthecountryinresponsetoBarnier’sappointment.Inmorethan130cities,peopletooktothestreets,callingforMacron’simpeachmentandaccusinghimofbetrayingthepublic’strust.Organizersreportedthataround300,000peopleparticipatedintheprotests,with160,000demonstratinginParisalone.However,officialgovernmentfiguresweremuchlower.
PublicsentimentisnotinMacron’sfavor.ArecentElabepollrevealedthat74%ofFrenchcitizensbelievethepresidentdisregardedtheelectionresults,and55%eventhinkhe"stole"theelections.
ForBarnier,theroadaheadisrocky.Oneofthebiggestchallengesisreformingthenationalbudget.FranceisunderpressurefromtheEuropeanCommissionandfinancialmarketstoreduceitsdeficit.Butslashinggovernmentspendinginatimeofgrowingdiscontentcouldbackfire,especiallygiventhedecliningstateofthepublichealthcaresystem,whichhasbeenamajorsourceoffrustrationformonths.
ManyfearthatBarnier,asaconservative,willpushforausteritymeasuresandstricterimmigrationpolicies.JeanneSchmitt,a45-year-oldcivilservantwhoparticipatedintheParisprotests,expressedherconcerns,sayingBarnier"hasnosocialconscience"andwillcontinuethesamepoliciesthathavealienatedmuchofthepopulation.
Barnierisnowworkingonforminganewgovernment,buthispositionisfarfromsecure.InearlyOctober,heisexpectedtopresenthispolicyobjectivestoparliament—amomentthatcouldtriggeravoteofnoconfidence.Theleft-wingNFPandthefar-rightNationalRally(RN)holdamajorityinparliamentandcouldunitetooustBarnieriftheychoosetoworktogether.
Interestingly,RNhasgivenBarnierconditionalsupport,signalingtheymaynotbackano-confidencevoteifcertaindemandsaremet.RNleaderJordanBardellanotedthatBarnieris"aprimeministerundersurveillance"andemphasizedthatnomajordecisionswillbemadewithouttheinvolvementoftheirparty,makingRNakeyplayerinthefutureofthegovernment.
Barnier’sappointmentandtheproteststhatfollowedhighlightthedeeppoliticaldivisionsinFrance.Withthecountry’spoliticalblocsunwillingtofindcommonground,thefutureofthenewgovernmentremainsuncertain.Barnierfacesanuphillbattletoenactmeaningfulreformswhilenavigatingthethreatofano-confidencevoteandrisingopposition.
