French President Emmanuel Macron obviously didn't want to pick François Bayrou as his prime minister: the job interview reportedly went badly and the accouncement was made after Macron's own self-imposed deadline. But more right-leaning centrism it is for the increasingly frazzled French republic.
He is seen by Macron's entourage as a potential consensus candidate and his task will be to avoid the fate of his predecessor. Ex-Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was ousted by MPs nine days ago and welcomed Bayrou to the prime minister's residence on Friday.
Macron's overarching strategy seems typical of centrists the world over: cling to power by giving the far right enough of what it wants to defang it and locking the left out of government. In Macron's case the political gamesmanship is particularly galling, though, because he allied with the left to keep the far right from winning recent elections, then betrayed it after it outperformed expectations and his own position was secure.
61% of French voters were worried by the political situation. Although a succession of allies lined up to praise Bayrou's appointment, Socialist regional leader Carole Delga said the whole process had become a "bad movie". Far-left France Unbowed (LFI) leader Manuel Bompard complained of a "pathetic spectacle". The centre-left Socialists said they were ready to talk to Bayrou but would not take part in his government. Leader Olivier Faure said because Macron had chosen someone "from his own camp", the Socialists would remain in opposition.
