Barnier appointment ‘gave National Rally keys to the truck’

For Frédéric Sawicki, professor of political science at the University of Paris 1, the appointment of Michel Barnier as prime minister on 6 September signals the materialization of an alliance between Emmanuel Macron and Les Républicains, but also the strong position of the far-right National Rally party. This interview by David Bornstein was originally published in French

Daniel Bornstein: Following two months of prolonged negotiations, Emmanuel Macron has appointed Michel Barnier as prime minister. What do you make of this choice?

Frédéric Sawicki: The first thing to point out is that Michel Barnier comes from the right and that he has therefore necessarily received the support of the conservative Les Républicains (LR) party – even though he is not necessarily on the same line. So it’s not just one person who is being appointed, but the representative of a party that has always refused to take part in a government with Macronists. So the question is: will other LR members join the government? Is this the prelude to a lasting alliance between LR and Macron’s party, something that has always failed so far?

In fact, this impossible alliance was one of the reasons for Macron’s having decided to dissolve the French National Assembly on June 10. This alliance now seems to be coming about in a paradoxical way, at a time when both parties are weakened and can no longer govern as they might have done between 2022 and 2024. So Barnier’s appointment first shows a rapprochement between the Macronist camp and the Republican right. While this rapprochement began during the parliamentary elections with the sharing of certain constituencies in some departments, it did not lead to any common policy agenda or, of course, any commitment