France’s new PM Francois Bayrou vows to tackle 'Himalayan' budget deficit, calls for unity

New French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Friday (Dec 13) said that he is aware of France’s significant financial and political challenges and compared the country’s budget deficit to scaling the Himalayas. Bayrou took over from outgoing PM Michel Barnier, whose government fell after losing a no-confidence vote.

“No one knows better than me the difficulty of the situation,” Bayrou said during the handover ceremony. Referring to the 6.1 per cent GDP budget deficit, he added, “I am fully aware of the Himalayas that loom ahead of us.”

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Talking to the reporters earlier Bayrou highlighted the importance of unity in tackling these issues. “I think everyone understands the difficulty of the task. I think everyone is also thinking that there is a path to be found, which will unify people instead of dividing them,” he said.

The French PM added, “Today is the birthday of [16th-century French king] Henry IV, who I wrote about extensively. I wrote a lot because I believe reconciliation is needed.”

Bayrou also expressed confidence in the journey ahead, saying, “In life, what helps a lot is when you go on a path, that you know where you’re going. There’s not a minute lost, not an unpleasant minute. So everyone knows the road will be long, but I’m not the first to take a long road.”

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He recalled Socialist Francois Mitterrand’s election in 1981, saying, “The evening he was elected, his first words when he was shown the results were, ‘At last, the troubles begin.’”

Seen as a potential consensus candidate by President Emmanuel Macron’s team, Bayrou’s primary challenge will be avoiding the fate of his predecessor. Macron, currently halfway through his second term, has now appointed four prime ministers in 2024 alone.

French politics has remained at a standstill since Macron called for a snap parliamentary elections over the summer.

(With inputs from agencies)