President Macron is seeking a new Prime Minister for France for the sixth time.

(CLO) French President Emmanuel Macron is once again urgently searching for a replacement for Prime Minister Michel Barnier after his minority government was ousted in a no-confidence vote on December 4th.

As is known, Michel Barnier resigned as Prime Minister of France after less than three months in office, becoming the shortest-serving Prime Minister in modern French history after President Macron officially accepted his resignation.

This also means that Macron will have to find the sixth Prime Minister for France since being elected President in 2017. Barnier is even the third person to hold this position in the French government in 2024, alongside Élisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal. The two previous leaders were Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex.

French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: GI

Currently, President Macron is in discussions with allies and senior politicians to quickly appoint a new Prime Minister. François Bayrou, a veteran moderate politician and close ally of Macron, has been mentioned by the French media as a potential candidate. In addition, outgoing Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu is also considered a strong contender.

According to several sources, President Macron hopes to make a decision before the inauguration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this coming Saturday, an event attended by many world leaders, including US President-elect Donald Trump.

The political crisis in France is weakening the European Union, which is already under considerable pressure following the collapse of the coalition government in Germany. The situation is further exacerbated as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House.

The new French Prime Minister will face a similar challenge to his predecessor: passing the 2025 budget in a deeply divided parliament, while simultaneously restoring depleted public finances.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, criticized Macron: "The main culprit of the current situation is Emmanuel Macron," she said on TF1 television on Wednesday evening.

A Toluna Harris Interactive poll showed that 64% of voters want Macron to resign. However, the French constitution only allows for the removal of a president if two-thirds of members of parliament conclude that he has failed to fulfill his duties, a situation unprecedented in history.

The political crisis is destabilizing French financial markets, impacting the country's bonds and stocks. Although the market recovered somewhat on December 5th as investors took profits following the no-confidence vote, the prolonged uncertainty is expected to continue putting pressure on the market.

According to Standard & Poor's, the collapse of the French government has dimmed prospects for reducing the budget deficit, and the likelihood of implementing austerity measures is lower than before.

In this context, political instability could last at least until July 2025, when new parliamentary elections are permitted to be held.

Cao Phong (according to Reuters, Le Monde)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tong-thong-macron-lan-thu-sau-di-tim-thu-tuong-moi-cho-nuoc-phap-post324353.html