Protesters rally across France against Barnier’s appointment as PM

Thousands of protesters rallied across France on Saturday, led by far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, to oppose President Emmanuel Macron’s appointment of conservative Michel Barnier as the new prime minister. Mélenchon and his supporters view Barnier’s appointment as a rejection of the electorate’s will after a divisive legislative election in July. Protests took place in multiple cities, including Paris, Montauban, and Auch. Barnier, a veteran politician and former EU Brexit negotiator, faces the challenge of navigating a deeply fractured National Assembly. Critics argue that Macron’s decision to appoint Barnier signals a return to the old political order that Macron had vowed to break from.

Quick Read

• Thousands of protesters rallied across France on Saturday against the appointment of Michel Barnier as prime minister.
• Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon led the protests, calling Barnier’s appointment a power grab and a rejection of the electorate’s will.
• Demonstrations occurred in cities such as Paris, Montauban, and Auch, with tensions high as police prepared for potential clashes.
• Barnier, a conservative and former EU Brexit negotiator, was appointed after a divisive legislative election in July.
• The protests challenge President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to bypass the far-left bloc in appointing the new prime minister.
• Barnier is tasked with navigating a fractured National Assembly, where the political spectrum is divided between the far left, far right, and Macron’s weakened centrist bloc.
• Critics argue Macron’s appointment of Barnier marks a return to the old political order that Macron had pledged to change.

Protesters rally across France against Barnier’s appointment as PM

Newslooks- PARIS (AP) —

Thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, responding to calls from far-left party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who condemned the appointment of Michel Barnier as prime minister as a “power grab.” The protests challenge President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to appoint the conservative Barnier, bypassing the far-left bloc after a divisive legislative election in July. Mélenchon’s France Unbowed party sees Barnier’s conservative background as a rejection of the electorate’s will, further inflaming the already charged political atmosphere in France.

Authorities expected tens of thousands of demonstrators, with protests concentrated in Paris at Place de la Bastille, and tensions were high as police prepared for possible clashes. Other rallies took place in 150 locations, including the southwestern cities of Montauban and Auch. In Montauban, protesters echoed Mélenchon’s rhetoric, accusing Macron of undermining democracy. “The people have been ignored,” a rally speaker told the crowd.

While Barnier was meeting with healthcare workers at Paris’ Necker Hospital on his first official visit as prime minister, protests across the country signaled the challenge ahead for his government. Barnier, who is working to assemble his Cabinet, expressed a commitment to listening to public concerns, particularly about public services. Far-right National Rally (RN) leader Jordan Bardella also criticized Barnier, warning him that his party would keep the new prime minister “under surveillance.” Bardella, speaking at the Chalons-en-Champagne fair, demanded that Barnier address RN priorities, especially on national security and immigration.

At 73, Barnier is the oldest prime minister in France’s Fifth Republic, replacing 34-year-old Gabriel Attal, who resigned after Macron’s centrist government lost its majority in July’s legislative elections. Macron had called the snap elections hoping to secure a clear mandate, but the result left him without a majority, plunging his administration into political turmoil. Attal, who was France’s first openly gay prime minister, was criticized by some in the media for Barnier’s voting record, which included opposition to a 1981 law decriminalizing homosexuality.

Barnier, with decades of political experience, faces the challenge of forming a government capable of navigating a fractured National Assembly. The political landscape is sharply divided between the far left, far right, and Macron’s weakened centrist bloc, with no clear path to stability. Macron’s decision to appoint Barnier, a seasoned politician with deep ties to the European Union and former Brexit negotiator, is seen as an attempt to bring stability to French politics. However, critics argue that Macron, who once promised to break from the old political order, now faces the very instability he vowed to overcome.

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