What is known about the new French Prime Minister and his stance on Ukraine
Around 60 days after the parliamentary elections, whem many expected a far-right triumph, French President Emmanuel Macron has finally appointed a prime minister.
Neither a far-right candidate, who came third, nor a leftist one, who gained the most votes, was appointed. The new Prime Minister is 73-year-old Michel Barnier, best known outside of France as the EU's Brexit negotiator.
However, Barnier has a much deeper political legacy in France.
Read more to understand what this appointment means for France and Ukraine in the article by Maria Yemets, a European Pravda* journalist – From dialogue with Putin to backing Macron: A look at France’s new Prime Minister.
Barnier first was elected in the National Assembly in 1978. Since then, he has served as both a national and European parliamentarian, held various government posts, including foreign and European affairs, and twice served as an EU Commissioner, responsible for the internal market and financial services.
The new French Prime Minister has always belonged to traditional right-wing forces (the Republicans and previous parties following in the footsteps of de Gaulle), but not the far-right.
In 2016, when the UK began the process of exiting the EU, Michel Barnier was appointed as the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, a role he fulfiled to the end, though it took much longer than expected (the final agreement was signed in late 2020).
The drawn-out Brexit negotiations required considerable diplomatic skill. This experience may have been a decisive factor in Macron’s choice of prime minister.
Barnier will need to find common ground with a parliament where no political force has a majority, but among the largest groups are the far-right and far-left, both political opponents of Macron.
Michel Barnier, in his previous roles, did not focus much on Ukraine and only occasionally dealt with Ukrainian issues, usually reiterating the official position of the institution he represented.
After leaving his positions in the French government and the EU, when he was no longer bound by obligations to the government or the European Commission, he made more statements related to Ukraine and Russia.
Just days before the full-scale invasion, after Putin recognised the "independence" of the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, Barnier advocated for a more active dialogue with Russia. He said that Western leaders' dialogue with Putin "should have started earlier" and that "negotiations should be given a chance until the very end."
He also supported the idea of convening a conference on security in Europe with Russia's participation.
But that was the "Barnier of peacetime." By 2024, such rhetoric from him had ceased. Instead, he told journalists about discussing Western support for Ukraine during a meeting with Norway's prime minister.
Additionally, Barnier advocates for Europe to be more prepared for independent defence, to avoid depending on who the next US president will be.
Unofficially, it has already been reported that socialists and communists plan to vote against Barnier's government. However, the far-right has been much less harsh in their statements.
The process of appointing a prime minister in France differs significantly from that in Ukraine. The president appoints the head of government independently, without needing parliamentary approval, and the president appoints or dismisses ministers upon the prime minister's recommendation.
However, the opinion of parliament still matters. The National Assembly can force the prime minister to resign by expressing no confidence or rejecting the government's programme or a general policy declaration.
It seems that after two weeks of consultations, Macron is confident that his opponents do not have enough votes to block the appointment of his government.