François Bayrou Prime Minister of France

François Bayrou commands respect - but can he save France from crisis?

In an attempt to rescue France from its political crisis, President Macron has turned to a fellow centrist who is also one of the most seasoned politicians in France.

However, it is difficult to see how François Bayrou, who enjoys widespread respect across the political spectrum, can escape the same pitfalls that befell his predecessor, Michel Barnier.

Despite being appointed by the president in accordance with the constitution, the prime minister can only act with the backing of parliament.

Furthermore, it would be reckless to expect that Bayrou would succeed to any extent given that the National Assembly is still mired in the same three-bloc deadlock that has existed since July and is unlikely to alter until July 2025.

Macron has conferred with a number of leaders since Barnier's downfall a week ago, following a vote of no confidence backed by the left and populist right, with the aim of assembling a new informal coalition to govern the nation.

Macron's first instinct was to turn to the traditional left because Barnier was a typical right-winger. At first, he tried to sever the Socialist Party (PS) from its coalition with the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI).

However, he was had to restrict his search to his own inner circle because the PS's condition was the adoption of left-wing policies that Macron was unwilling to approve.

Before Macron's first unexpected election victory in 2017, Bayrou was a close ally of the president. In fact, a key element of Macron's campaign was established by Bayrou's choice to withdraw from the race that year and support the younger guy.

The 73-year-old Bayrou has been a prominent player in politics for almost 40 years. Since the Modem party was founded in 2007, it has operated with 36 deputies. He led earlier centrist iterations before to then.

His roots were in the post-war Chistian Democrat tradition, which generally backed but distanced itself from the more extensive Gaullist element of the French right, which was dominated by Jacques Chirac starting in the late 1970s.

As the center's standard-bearer, Bayrou has made three runs for the president. In 2007, when he finished third with about 19% of the vote, he came the closest to winning. Then, by publicly endorsing Socialist candidate Ségolène Royal, he infuriated eventual victor Nicolas Sarkozy.

Bayrou has the benefit of having amicable relations with both sides when a minority government's only chance of survival is to forge bridges on both sides.

There is a certain trust among the Socialists because of his support for Royal and then François Hollande in 2012. However, he benefits from his opinions on debt and the necessity of reducing it.

It's interesting to note that he has a respectful relationship with Marine Le Pen of the populist right. He has already assisted her in obtaining the necessary sponsorships to run for president, claiming that it would be disrespectful to democracy if the head of the most popular party was unable to do so.

When the prosecutor in her own party funding trial—a case that was comparable to his own—recently urged that she be ruled unsuitable for public office, similar feelings fueled support for Le Pen.

Bayrou might be able to sidestep the populist right's automatic censure as a result.

However, Le Pen's National Rally has also threatened to overthrow the new prime minister if he is "Barnier with a different face."

Alain Duhamel, a seasoned political analyst from France, claims that Bayrou is a self-reliant and seasoned individual who, despite being loyal to Macron, would not hold back from using his influence at his official apartment, the Hotel Matignon.

According to Duhamel, "he will not be easily disciplined," "And he will tilt policy more towards the left."