Macron ally and centrist François Bayrou appointed new French prime minister

François Bayrou, a veteran centrist and ally of President Emmanuel Macron, has been appointed as the French prime minister, after last week's historic vote of no-confidence ended the beleaguered and short-lived minority coalition of the rightwing Michel Barnier.

- Guardian international staff

Taking office, Bayrou said he recognised the serious problem of public debt in France and the need for parliament to agree a budget. He said the task was so mountainous it was like politically climbing the Himalayas. And he added that he wanted to break down the "glass wall" between politicians and voters who had lost trust. There was a need to reconcile France and fight discrimination, he noted during a handover ceremony with his predecessor.

Bayrou, 73, is the leader of the centrist MoDem party and a political heavyweight from south-western France who calls himself a "man of the countryside". A former education minister, and mayor of the southwestern town of Pau, he has been an ally and close confidante to Macron since he swept to power in 2017.

Bayrou is the fourth French prime minister this year as the country has struggled with a growing political crisis in a divided parliament. Barnier's government was ousted last week after only three months in office, and Macron wants to avoid a new government facing the same fate.

Bayrou gave a sober assessment of whether he could tame the hung parliament. "It is a long road, everyone knows that," he told reporters. "I am not the first to take a long road."

Since Macron called an inconclusive snap election in June, the French parliament has been divided between three groups with no absolute majority. A left alliance took the largest number of votes but fell short of an absolute majority; Macron's centrist grouping suffered losses but is still standing; and the far-right National Rally gained seats but was held back from power by tactical voting from the left and centre.

Those divisions remain and the first task of the new prime minister is to appoint a government that can work with parliament to pass a full budget for 2025.

Macron will hope Bayrou can stave off no-confidence votes until at least July, when France will be able to hold a new parliamentary election.