Another no-confidence vote The real test is further down the line when the 2025 budget bill returns to parliament, which could lead to another vote of no-confidence in late January. It’s likely then that the far right will vote against the government, so Bayrou needs to pick off enough left-wing MPs to survive without alienating … Read more
Flattery from Macron Musk hasn’t yet thrown his endorsement behind Marine Le Pen and the French far right. But President Macron — who, like Scholz in Germany, is politically fragile and facing domestic turbulence — is desperate to get him onside. He has been urging the tech entrepreneur, alongside Trump, to attend a major artificial … Read more
“The Russian authorities are used to making intemperate statements designed to manipulate a war of aggression for which they bear full responsibility. If Russia wants peace, it must put an end to the war,” a French diplomatic official said in response to Lavrov’s comments. “As France has reiterated since the beginning of the war, it … Read more
He is due to remain in power until 2027. Macron has lost his grip on the international stage, she said. “He no longer has any influence in the European Union, and has been humiliated in the worst possible way by his ‘creature,’ [European Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen.” In early December, the EU signed … Read more
PARIS — Emmanuel Macron will not attend Thursday’s European Council meeting in Brussels as he heads to Mayotte, a French oversea territory in the Indian Ocean coping with the aftermath of a devastating tropical cyclone. Macron will be represented at the council by his German counterpart Olaf Scholz, “in accordance with established practice between France … Read more
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron has picked François Bayrou to be France’s prime minister, the Elysée said in a statement. Bayrou will replace Michel Barnier, whose government was toppled last week after trying to pass a slimmed-down social security budget to rein in France’s massive deficit. Macron had told lawmakers in a meeting on Tuesday … Read more
In a bid to ensure the next head of government lasts longer than Barnier, Macron has tried to seek a compromise with opposition forces in France’s fractured legislature. The leading candidates mentioned in French media both come from Macron’s camp — former Industry Minister Roland Lescure and centrist grandee François Bayrou. It isn’t clear, however, … Read more
PARIS — Marine Le Pen has always walked a tightrope between being the outsider, intent on taking a wrecking ball to the French establishment, and cultivating a more mainstream image to win sufficiently broad support in the hope of one day becoming president. The political crisis that has gripped France has brought that stark choice … Read more
Macron is expected to name a new premier by the end of the day Thursday to replace Barnier. Several names have been floated in the French press, but the leading rumor suggests he may appoint one of his earliest supporters, centrist François Bayrou. However, representatives from different left-wing parties have already made clear that they … Read more
The far right took a different approach. National Rally leader Jordan Bardella accused Macron of ignoring the millions of people who voted for his party by excluding it from the meeting. Retaining control With some of the most radical forces removed from the negotiation table, Macron’s hopes lie in convincing the remaining parties to refrain … Read more
