Thousands Protest the Appointment of Michel Barnier as Prime Minister of France

The announcement of Michel Barnier as the new Prime Minister of France by Emmanuel Macron sparked widespread protests. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Paris, the capital of France, and other cities on Saturday, September 8, challenging the President's decision to appoint this veteran right-leaning politician. At the same time, leftist parties in France accused Emmanuel Macron of ignoring the election results. Michel Barnier, 73, a conservative politician and former EU representative in Brexit negotiations, has previously held ministerial positions twice. His appointment as Prime Minister, especially after the left coalition received the most votes in the elections two months ago, has angered voters and leftist politicians. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the far-left party in France, addressed the protesters in Paris, stating, 'Commitment to democracy does not only mean victory; it also includes the humility to accept defeat.' According to the organizers of the protests, about 300,000 people demonstrated across France, including 160,000 in Paris. However, the Paris police reported the number of attendees at 26,000. Concurrently, Michel Barnier visited a hospital in Paris and spoke with its staff. Improving the dismal state of public healthcare has long been one of the main demands of the French people from politicians. Just a day before these nationwide protests, Barnier announced his intention to form a cabinet consisting of conservatives, supporters of the President, and some left-wing figures. He is expected to present his government's plans to Parliament in about three weeks, where he will face the risk of a vote of no confidence from representatives. The conservative 'Republicans' party, led by Barnier, has fewer than 50 representatives in Parliament, making it the fifth faction in this body, and will need support from right-wing parties to successfully form a government. The far-right parties, National Rally and National Consensus, together hold a parliamentary majority and could potentially block Barnier's cabinet formation. National Consensus has conditionally agreed to Barnier's premiership; however, Jordan Bardella, the leader of this party, has warned that Barnier will be a 'supervised prime minister.' Meanwhile, leftist parties consider Macron's rejection of the 'New People's Front' coalition candidate for prime minister as undemocratic and accuse the President of 'stealing the election results.' A recent poll from a reputable polling agency shows that 74% of French people believe that Emmanuel Macron has ignored the election results, and 55% say that the President has 'stolen' their votes. Two months after the sudden elections in France, while the country is without a government and facing domestic and international issues, it seems that the appointment of Michel Barnier will not lead to political and economic stability in this important EU country.