Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s right-wing National Rally (RN), expressed optimism after meeting with the newly appointed Prime Minister François Bayrou on Monday.
Le Pen described Bayrou’s approach as “more positive” compared to his predecessor Michel Barnier, who was ousted earlier this month.
Bayrou, who took office on Friday following the dismissal of Barnier, is currently holding talks with leaders from France’s political parties. Le Pen and Jordan Bardella were the first to meet with him. Bayrou’s main task is to build consensus in a divided parliament and pass the 2025 social security budget, a goal Barnier failed to achieve before his ouster. Barnier’s attempt to push through the budget without parliamentary approval led to a no-confidence vote, supported by both the right-wing and the left, making him the shortest-serving French prime minister in history.
Le Pen had been a key figure in Barnier’s downfall, consistently opposing his social security budget despite late-stage concessions. After her meeting with Bayrou, Le Pen noted that the prime minister had “listened” to her and expressed hope that the approach of regular dialogues with political parties would be effective. “As a matter of principle, he (Bayrou) would like to have regular appointments with political parties,” she said, adding, “I think that method is more positive.”
While it may be early to tell whether their concerns will be fully addressed, Le Pen stated, “We were listened to.” Bayrou plans to meet with all parliamentary groups in order of their size, with the exception of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed (LFI), which has refused to participate in talks.
