France President Emmanuel Macron
Thousands of people have flocked to the streets throughout France to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s appointment of center-right Michel Barnier as prime minister, with left-wing groups accusing him of stealing legislative elections.
Macron nominated 73-year-old Barnier, a conservative and the European Union’s former Brexit negotiator, as prime minister on Thursday, ending a two-month search following his disastrous decision to call a parliamentary election, which resulted in a hung parliament divided into three blocs.
In his first interview as government chairman, Barnier indicated on Friday night that his cabinet, which lacks a clear majority, will comprise conservatives, Macron supporters, and, he hopes, those on the left.
Barnier confronts a hard task in driving reforms and the 2025 budget while France is under pressure from the European Commission and bond markets to lower its deficit.
The left, backed by the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, accused Macron of denying democracy and stealing the election after he refused to nominate the candidate of the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance, which won the July vote.
On Friday, pollster Elabe released a survey that found 74% of French citizens thought Macron had ignored the election results, with 55% saying he had stolen them.
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