France's Macron names centrist ally Bayrou as PM

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) poses with French President of the Modem party Francois Bayrou and mayor of Pau Francois Bayrou (L) on the balcony of the city hall during a visit in Pau, southwestern France, on July 6, 2023

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist leader Francois Bayrou as prime minister, handing him the daunting task of hauling France out of months of political crisis.

Bayrou, the 73-year-old head of the MoDem group which is allied to Macron's party, was appointed nine days after Michel Barnier's government was ousted by parliament in a historic no-confidence vote following a standoff over an austerity budget.

"The President of the Republic has appointed Mr. Francois Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government," the French presidency said in a statement, giving no more details.

Bayrou is the sixth prime minister of Macron's mandate after last week's toppling of Barnier, who became France's shortest-serving prime minister and lasted only three months.

He is also Macron's fourth prime minister of 2024.

Bayrou now faces an immediate challenge in putting together a cabinet that can survive a no-confidence vote in a deeply divided parliament and thrash out a 2025 budget in a bid to limit economic turmoil.

The announcement was made after Macron received Bayrou for nearly two hours of talks Friday. BFMTV reported the talks with Bayrou had been "tense".

Barnier, 73, was expected to hand over power to his successor at a ceremony late Friday morning, ministerial sources told AFP.

  Handover ceremony 

Ahead of the ceremony a red carpet was rolled out and microphones installed in the courtyard of the Matignon, the seat of the French...