France's Search for New PM Comes to End: Macron Finally Announces Candidate

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed conservative Michel Barnier, a former European Commissioner and EU Brexit negotiator, as the new head of government.

It is reported by BFMTV.

The head of state has finally decided on the candidacy of the prime minister, as 60 days have passed since the parliamentary elections.

Barnier, 73, led the EU's negotiations with Britain on its withdrawal from the bloc in 2016-2021. Prior to that, the conservative politician held positions in various French governments and was an EU commissioner.

According to the Elysee Palace, Macron ‘assured that the prime minister and the future government meet the conditions to be as stable as possible and to unite as much as possible’.

The discussion of Barnier's candidacy unexpectedly became known only on Thursday, after other names had been mentioned in the media.

Barnier will face a difficult task of finding compromises and building coalitions to ensure that the parliament supports certain initiatives. 

Earlier, Emmanuel Macron refused to appoint a candidate from the left-wing New Popular Front bloc, which won the election, as prime minister and began consultations with political parties before making his decision on a new prime minister, amid growing accusations from the left.

The main favourites for the prime ministerial post were former Socialist prime minister and former Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and centre-right, long-time government member Xavier Bertrand, with whom the president spoke on Monday. 

One of them was expected to be appointed prime minister on the evening of 4 September, but journalists eventually received information that Macron was postponing the decision and would consider other candidates.