Francois Bayrou named new French prime minister, replacing ousted Michel Barnier

Emmanuel Macron appointed Francois Bayrou as France's new prime minister on Friday after a no-confidence vote ousted the former government.

Bayrou, 73, is a crucial partner in Macron's centrist alliance and has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades.

His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability, as no single party holds a majority at the National Assembly.

Macron named his long-time ally to replace Michel Barnier, who faced a rebellion from far-left and far-right members of parliament last week following his attempt to pass budget legislation.

Macron accused his political opponents of bringing about "disorder" in a speech on December 5, after tabling the motion, which saw Barnier toppled.

The vote of no confidence came after Barnier tried to push controversial budget measures through parliament, including spending cuts and €60 billion (£49.7 billion) worth of tax increases.

He attempted to bring in the measure using a constitutional clause, allowing him to bypass a parliamentary vote - but this same clause also gave members a chance to stage a no-confidence against him.

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This opportunity was then seized by the leftist party France Unbowed and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally.

Despite growing calls to resign, Macron vowed to stay in office until the end of his term in 2027.

“I was elected to serve until 2027, and I will fulfil that mandate,” he told reporters earlier this week.

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