Michel Barnier

More than 50 days after France’s parliamentary elections, on 5th September 2024, President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier as the new prime minister, marking the end of the longest transition period between prime ministers in the history of the Fifth Republic.

Michel Barnier, from Haute-Savoie, is best known for his role as the EU's chief negotiator during Brexit, having built a career spanning over five decades in French and European politics.
He has held key portfolios in the French government, including foreign, European affairs, environment, and agriculture ministries, as well as serving two terms as France’s European commissioner.
At 73, Barnier becomes the oldest prime minister in France’s Fifth Republic, bringing extensive experience to the role.
The delay in appointing a new prime minister stems from a hung parliament after the recent elections, where no party or coalition secured the majority required to form a government.