Francois Bayrou Appointed French Prime Minister

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed François Bayrou as the new prime minister, following Michel Barnier's ousting in a historic no-confidence vote. Bayrou, a centrist politician, faces the immediate challenge of forming a government and passing the 2025 budget in a highly fractured parliament. His appointment marks the fourth prime ministerial change under Macron in 2024 and comes amid ongoing political turmoil and rising national debt concerns. Bayrou, who has previously faced significant backlash as education minister, is expected to prioritize consensus-building to stabilize the government. With a deeply divided National Assembly, he will need to navigate opposition from both the far-right and left-wing factions. The urgency of his task is underscored by the critical need for emergency legislation to maintain government funding in the short term.