Michel Barnier vows to address feelings of ‘anger’ and ‘injustice’ as France’s new PM

Angelique Chrisafis

Michel Barnier, France’s new rightwing prime minister, has vowed to address the nation’s feelings of anger, abandonment and injustice, promising a “new era” and a break with the past.

Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, took office hours after Emmanuel Macron appointed him to form “a unifying government in the service of the country” – an attempt to put an end to two months of political paralysis after a snap election.

Barnier, who at 73 is the oldest premier in the history of modern France, said his first task was to “respond as best we can to the challenges, the anger, the feeling of abandonment and injustice that is too prevalent in our cities, on our estates and in the countryside”.

The government’s priority would be education, as well as security and controlling immigration, he said.

Barnier’s appointment was greeted with dismay by the left which will now seek to topple him with a no-confidence motion.

Controversially, Macron appears to be counting on Le Pen’s National Rally to keep Barnier in power by voting against a no-confidence motion. The RN indicated on Thursday it would not automatically vote down Barnier and would wait and see what sort of programme he laid out in his first address to parliament.

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