Macron's new PM Bayrou faces budget battle with fractious French Parliament

PARIS - New French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on Dec 13 he faced a "Himalaya" of a challenge to tackle France's deficit, with opponents' lukewarm reactions to his appointment underlining the difficulty of the job he faces.

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President Emmanuel Macron earlier named Mr Bayrou as his fourth prime minister of 2024, tasking his centrist ally with steering France out of its second political crisis in six months. He replaces Mr Michel Barnier, who was ousted by lawmakers last week for trying to pass a cost-cutting 2025 budget.

Mr Bayrou, a three-time presidential candidate who has long warned of French fiscal profligacy, inherits the same rowdy Parliament that felled Mr Barnier. His proximity to the deeply unpopular Mr Macron may also hurt him.

In a speech alongside Mr Barnier on Dec 13, Mr Bayrou acknowledged the challenge.

"Nobody knows the difficulty of the situation better than I do... I am not unaware of the Himalaya that stands before us," he said. "I believe that this issue, the deficit and debt, is an issue that poses a moral problem, not just a financial one."

Efforts to rein in the deficit, expected to close the year at over 6 per cent of gross domestic product, lie at the heart of the country's political malaise.