French President Emmanuel Macron is set to announce the appointment of a new prime minister on Friday morning, as confirmed by the Elysee Palace.
The announcement comes after Macron missed his self-imposed deadline on Thursday, as he continues consultations to finalize his decision. The official communiqué regarding the new prime minister will be published on Friday morning, sources close to the president said, shortly after his return from a visit to Poland.
The new prime minister will face immediate challenges, including negotiating parliamentary agreements to prevent a vote of no confidence and ensuring the passage of the 2025 budget.
Macron’s delay highlights the political challenges he faces, with his approval rating at a record low of 21%, according to an Elabe poll published Thursday. The survey also shows a significant drop in trust from his supporters, with only 57% of those who voted for him in the 2022 presidential election expressing confidence in his ability to address France’s issues, down from 91% in May 2022.
Potential Candidates
While Macron struggles with his lowest-ever popularity, veteran centrist François Bayrou, a possible candidate for prime minister, has seen a rise in his favorability. A recent poll shows his positive image has increased to 29%, up by 8 points, placing him seventh among political figures. Other contenders include former prime ministers Bernard Cazeneuve, who saw a 5-point rise to 28%, and Edouard Philippe, the most popular political figure, with 41% approval.
Political Instability Since June
France has been experiencing political instability since June when Macron’s centrist bloc failed, and the far-right National Rally (RN) party triumphed in the European Parliament elections. Following this, Macron called for two rounds of snap parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7, but no party secured the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority in the National Assembly. The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) alliance won the most votes and seats in the second round but was unable to immediately nominate a consensus candidate for prime minister.
After internal divisions, the NFP proposed Lucie Castets as a candidate on July 23. However, Macron rejected the left-wing choice and delayed the appointment until mid-August, citing the Paris Olympics.
He faced criticism for the delay, further fuelling instability, especially after accepting Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s resignation on July 16, despite initially rejecting it on July 8. On September 5, Macron appointed Michel Barnier, a center-right politician, as prime minister, but his government collapsed following a no-confidence vote, marking the first such occurrence since 1962.
