French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week.
Mr Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, 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.
Mr Macron’s office said in a statement that Mr Bayrou “has been charged with forming a new government”.
During the handover ceremony, Mr Bayrou said that “no one knows the difficulty of the situation better” than he does.
“I’ve taken reckless risks all along my political life to raise the issue of debt and deficits in the most important elections,” he said.
France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year.
“I know that the risks of difficulties are much greater than the chances of success,” Mr Bayrou said, adding that he hopes to lead the country towards a “needed reconciliation”.
“I think this is the only possible path to success,” he said.
The new prime minister is expected to hold talks with political leaders from various parties in the coming days in order to choose new ministers.
Former prime minister Michel Barnier resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government.
Mr Macron in an address to the nation vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027.
Mr Macron’s centrist alliance does not have a majority in parliament and Mr Bayrou’s Cabinet will need to rely on moderate lawmakers from the left and the right to be able to stay in power.
Some conservatives are expected to be part of the new government.
Mr Macron’s strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding “make or break” power over the government.
Ms Le Pen helped oust Mr Barnier by joining her National Rally party’s forces to the left to pass the no-confidence motion last week.
Mr Bayrou’s appointment is also in line with Mr Macron’s efforts to build a non-aggression pact with the Socialists so that they commit not to vote against the government in any future confidence motion.
Mr Bayrou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, known as MoDem, which he founded in 2007.
In 2017, he supported Mr Macron’s first presidential bid and became a weighty partner in the French president’s centrist alliance.
At the time, he was appointed justice minister, but he quickly resigned from the government amid an investigation into the MoDem’s alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds.
Mr Bayrou this year was cleared in the case by a Paris court, which found eight other party officials guilty and sentenced the party to pay a fine.
Mr Bayrou became well known to the French public when he was education minister from 1993 to 1997 in a conservative government.
He was three times a candidate for president: in 2002, 2007 and 2012.
