From ex-PM Cazeneuve to 'floc floc' Bertrand, here's who Macron may pick as France's next PM

French President Emmanuel Macron is searching for a new prime minister after Michel Barnier officially resigned on Thursday (December 5), following a no-confidence vote by opposition lawmakers that toppled his government.

Several names have emerged as possible successors, circulating in political circles and the French media.

Here’s a look at some of the top picks

Bernard Cazeneuve

Bernard Cazeneuve, 61, had previously served as prime minister during the final months of socialist François Hollande’s presidency and was interior minister during the Charlie Hebdo and November 2015 Paris attacks.

Cazeneuve left the Socialist Party in 2022 over its alliance with the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) and other leftist groups.

His appointment could help Macron draw Socialist lawmakers away from their current coalition and strengthen the president’s centrist base.

Sébastien Lecornu

Sébastien Lecornu, 38, is a close ally of Macron who defected from the center-right The Republicans party to support Macron’s 2017 presidential bid. He has served as defence minister in Barnier’s outgoing government, overseeing increased defence spending and military aid to Ukraine.

Lecornu has faced controversy, with reports by investigative outlet Mediapart and newspaper Libération alleging he met with Marine Le Pen, Macron’s far-right rival, to discuss the war in Ukraine. Lecornu has denied the claims.

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François Bayrou

François Bayrou, 73, is a veteran centrist and leader of the Democratic Movement (MoDem), which has been part of Macron’s ruling alliance since 2017. A former justice minister, Bayrou resigned weeks into the role amid a probe into his party’s alleged misuse of parliamentary assistants.

Cleared of fraud charges this year, Bayrou remains a prominent figure and a longtime mayor of Pau in southwest France, where he emphasizes his rural political identity.

François Baroin

François Baroin, 59, is a career politician and former finance minister who played a key role during Europe’s sovereign debt crisis in 2011-2012. Baroin, who became chairman of Barclays France in 2022, has been the mayor of Troyes in the Champagne region since 1995.

Baroin’s ties to former President Chirac and his center-right credentials make him another potential candidate to replace Barnier.

Xavier Bertrand

Xavier Bertrand, 59, is a center-right politician and head of the Hauts-de-France region, where Macron has focused on developing electric vehicle battery production. Bertrand previously served as a minister under Presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Bertrand, a former insurance salesman once nicknamed “floc floc” for the sound his rubber-soled shoes made on parliament’s stone floor, was among the names considered by Macron for prime minister in the summer but was passed over for Barnier.

With inputs from Reuters