Cabinet countdown for Bayrou: Racing to build unity in France before Christmas

President Emmanuel Macron returned to Paris on Sunday after visiting cyclone-hit Mayotte and parts of East Africa. Back home, the nation is in political gridlock. The country anxiously awaiting the formation of a new government under Prime Minister François Bayrou, appointed on 13 December.

Bayrou, 73, leader of the centrist MoDem party allied with Macron, is racing to announce his cabinet before Christmas. Updates are expected as soon as Sunday. His immediate challenges include surviving a no-confidence vote and passing next year’s budget. He’s working to assemble a government with members from across the political spectrum to secure enough support.

France mourns cyclone victims amid Bayrou criticism

On Monday, France will observe a national day of mourning for the victims of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte, where at least 35 lives were lost – a number that could still rise. Bayrou has faced criticism for attending a town hall meeting in Pau, where he is still mayor, instead of prioritising the crisis in Mayotte.

Bayrou is Macron’s sixth prime minister and the fourth of 2024, each serving a shorter term than the last. He stepped in after his predecessor, Michel Barnier, was ousted earlier this month in a no-confidence vote. This made Barnier’s tenure the shortest in the history of France’s Fifth Republic.

France has been politically paralysed since snap elections earlier this year. It resulted in a fractured parliament split between three rival blocs. Many believe Bayrou’s time as prime minister could also be short-lived.

Bayrou’s Rocky Start: Record-Low approval

An Ifop for Journal du Dimanche poll found that 66% of respondents are dissatisfied with Bayrou. This is the lowest approval rating ever recorded for a new prime minister since the Fifth Republic began in 1958.

Bayrou acknowledged the stakes, warning, “If we fail in this attempt, this is the last stop before the cliff.” Opposition parties, including Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed and Olivier Faure’s Socialist Party, have criticised Bayrou’s early proposals. When he delivered his policy speech on 14 January, the party was gearing up for a no-confidence motion.

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