France’s new Prime Minister François Bayrou on Friday said he is aware of the challenges he faces amid the country’s political and budgetary crises.
“Nobody knows more than I do how difficult the situation is,” Bayrou said in Paris, hours after he was nominated by President Emmanuel Macron.
The centrist Bayrou, whose predecessor Michel Barnier lost a vote of confidence last week, said he wants to overcome the divisions in French society and “tear down the glass wall that has been erected between citizens and power.”
However, he is unlikely to be able to command a majority in the National Assembly, and left-wing parties have already signalled they oppose his nomination.
France has been politically deadlocked since elections held in June and July failed to produce a clear result. At the same time, the country is facing a critical economic situation amid soaring national debt and a large budgetary deficit.
