His stance on immigration could prove critical in securing at least tacit support from the far right in parliament. Barnier is in the right-wing Republicans party and has in the past proposed “putting a stop to non-European immigration for three to five years,” a stance close to Le Pen’s own. “It’s undeniable that Michel Barnier seems … Read more
The leftist alliance secured a surprise victory in France’s snap elections, which Macron called after the far right’s triumph in the European elections in June. Despite finishing first, however, the New Popular Front fell far short of an absolute majority. The French Greens, the Communists and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed movement all called on their … Read more
France’s new right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier started consulting all sides Friday to cobble together a government capable of mustering a majority in parliament after two months of political deadlock. The 73-year-old, a former foreign minister who recently acted as the European Union’s Brexit negotiator, is the oldest premier in the history of modern France. … Read more
He also called Brexit “nonsense” and a “lose-lose game” for the U.K. and the EU. However, Barnier is also firmly of the belief that Britain cannot pick and choose EU benefits and must move closer to the trading bloc, on areas like regulatory alignment, to enjoy a closer economic relationship. Former Tory MP Bill Cash said … Read more
Both the prime minister and the president of the Republic hold executive power in the French political system. But there is a reason why the names and the faces of French presidents are famous worldwide while the profile of French prime ministers usually doesn’t extend past the country’s borders. The prime minister and his ministers … Read more
