 "Why is France set to get its fourth PM in 12 months?")
France is set to get its fourth prime minister in 2024.
President Emmanuel Macron will announce his pick on Friday evening, according to several media reports.
The development comes around a week after Michael Barnier was ousted as prime minister in a historic no-confidence vote.
Macron, who was on a trip to Poland, has vowed to serve out his term of office till 2027.
Under the French political system, the prime minister is appointed by the president and accountable to the parliament. The prime minister is in charge of implementing domestic policy and coordinating the government’s team of ministers.
The president holds substantial powers over foreign policy, European affairs and defense. He is also the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces.
But why is France on its fourth prime minister this year?
Let’s take a closer look:
Elizabeth Borne
The year began with Elizabeth Borne as prime minister.
Borne, who was France’s second woman Prime Minister, resigned just nine days into the new year.
Borne had followed Jean Castex as prime minister.
She held the job since 2022.
As per Al Jazeera, Borne resigned ahead of an expected Cabinet reshuffle by Macron.
This after France in 2023 saw controversy over pension reform and immigration laws.
The French government under Borne had struggled to pass laws – which led to Macron using his executive powers to increase the pension age from 62 to 64.
This unpopular change led to mass protest against the government.
France also witnessed days of riots w at the beginning of the summer after police shot and killed a teenager.
“Ms Elisabeth Borne today submitted the resignation of the government to the president, who accepted it,” the presidency said.
Macron took to X to praise Borne for “work in the service of our nation that has been exemplary every day.”
“You have implemented our project with statewomen’s courage, commitment and determination. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he wrote.
The shakeup was widely seen as an attempt by the 46-year-old centrist Macron to head off a lame-duck status ahead of the European Parliamentary polls.
Under France’s Constitution, Macron will not be eligible to run for president for a consecutive third term.
It also came after the passage in December of contentious immigration legislation backed by Macron aimed at strengthening the government’s ability to deport some foreigners, among other measures.
Macron’s centrist alliance was able to pass the measure only after making a deal with the conservative Republicans party, which many observers saw as the government’s shift to the right. The tough negotiations and heated parliament debate raised questions over the ability of Borne’s government to pass future major bills.
Political observers at the time also suggested that Macron, a staunch supporter of European integration, wanted to his new government to get ready for the European Union elections in June amid growing political pressure from the far-right.
Gabriel Attal
Macron then chose Gabriel Attal as prime minister.
The 34-year-old made history on two counts – the country’s youngest prime minister in modern history and its first openly gay PM.
As per The Guardian, Attal was widely known as ‘baby Macron’ due to his similarities with the French president.
Attal, known as one of the brightest and most ambitious figures on the French political scene, first came to prominence as the government spokesperson and then education minister.
He was the most popular minister in Borne government.
Attal had accepted Macron’s nomination, saying there is “nothing greater than serving France.”
“The youngest president in [French] history is appointing the youngest prime minister in [French] history. I want to see it as a symbol of audacity,” Attal said at the time.
He vowed to “free up France’s potential.”
“I’m well aware of the context in which I take on this job,” Attal added. “Too many people in France doubt our country, doubt themselves or our future.” He said he was thinking of workers “who get up every morning to go to work … and sometimes can’t make ends meet.”
‘’I know I can count on your energy and your commitment,’’ Macron wrote on X.
But things didn’t work out for Attal either.
As per Al Jazeera, Attal resigned in July after Macron’s centrist coalition was defeated by the New Popular Front (NFP) in snap parliamentary polls.
Though the NPF – a coalition of leftist and environmental parties – won the most seats, it did not have a governing majority.
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally also made inroads.
The NPF secured 182 seats, Macron’s Together for the Republic centrist coalition got 168 seats and the National Rally party got 143 seats.
Parliament was essentially hung for the first time in the history of France’s modern republic – leaving building a coalition government a daunting task.
The coalition’s three main parties, the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens, had urged Macron to let them form the new government.
However, they remained divided among themselves as to which candidate they would back from prime minister.
France Unbowed ultimately suspended the talks and accused the Socialists of sabotaging candidacies they put forward to replace Attal.
Macron, accepting Attal’s resignation, had requested him to stay on as ‘caretaker PM.’
Macron said Attal would “handle current affairs until a new government is appointed,” as per Al Jazeera.
The development came ahead of Paris being set to host the Olympics.
Attal’s caretaker government was expected to be short-lived.
As per Al Jazeera, this is because no caretaker government in France had ever lasted for more than a few days.
This despite there being no limit on how long a caretaker regime can last and the fact that it cannot be shunted out by Parliament.
But Macron would take his own sweet time in choosing the next prime minister.
He spoke to a number of prospective candidates including Xavier Bertrand, Bernard Cazeneuve and Thierry Beaudet, consulted a number of right-wing leaders including Gérard Larcher, Laurent Wauquiez et Bruno Retailleau and met
Macron also met former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande – in keeping with the tradition for French presidents to meet their predecessors at times of national strife and seek their advice.
Michel Barnier
Only in September would Macron finally announce his next choice for PM – Michel Barnier .
Barnier, 73, is a veteran of the French conservative party Les Républicains (LR).
As per Indian Express, Barnier had been in French politics for over five decades.
He had previously served as France’s foreign, European affairs, environment and agriculture minister, as well as twice as the France European commissioner.
He had even bid for France’s presidency in 2022 against Macron.
Barnier, the former Brexit negotiator, was the oldest of the 26 prime ministers that served modern France’s Fifth Republic – a stark contrast from Attal.
He replaces the youngest, Gabriel Attal, who was 34 when he was appointed just eight months ago.
French media and some of Macron’s political opponents, who immediately criticized Barnier’s appointment, quickly dug up that, when serving in parliament in 1981, the new prime minister had been among 155 lawmakers who voted against a law that decriminalised homosexuality.
Barnier said that his new role would require “lots of listening, lots of respect.”
AFP quoted a minister in the then outgoing government as saying about Barnier that he was “very popular with right-wing members of parliament without being an irritant on the left.”
However, Barnier too came a cropper after facing fierce opposition to his proposed budget.
Barnier had used Article 49.3 of France’s Constitution to pass the 2025 social security budget plan sans a parliamentary vote, as per Euro News.
Both opposition blocs, typically at odds, had uniting against Barnier, accusing him of imposing austerity measures and failing to address citizens’ needs.
They moved a no-confidence vote against him.
BBC quoted Le Pen, the RN leader as calling the budget “toxic for the French.”
Le Pen told French broadcaster TF1 there was “no other solution” than to get rid of Barnier.
“I am not asking for the resignation of Emmanuel Macron.”
But “if we do not respect the voice of voters and show respect for political forces and respect for elections”, then pressure on the president will “obviously be stronger and stronger”.
“I can tell you that it will remain an honour for me to have served France and the French with dignity,” Barnier said in his final speech before the vote.
“This no-confidence motion… will make everything more serious and more difficult. That’s what I’m sure of,” he predicted.
Barnier and his Cabinet were forced out after the National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes.
A minimum of 288 were needed.
Barnier thus became the shortest-serving prime minister in France’s modern Republic.
It remains to be seen where French politics goes next.
With inputs from agencies
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