French Prime Minister François Bayrou has announced that he will complete the formation of his new government in the coming days.
In a televised address, he specified that the cabinet will be presented “by the weekend or, at the latest, by Christmas.” In recent days, Bayrou has held a series of meetings with leaders of various political parties. He urged them to decide by Friday whether they are willing to support government initiatives, join the cabinet, or take a stance of strong opposition.
The Prime Minister is counting on the support of President Emmanuel Macron’s party, as well as the right-wing Republicans. However, to secure a stable majority, he will need either the backing of Marine Le Pen’s party or the support of a coalition of left-wing forces.
On Thursday, Bayrou announced his intention to review certain details of the already approved pension reform, one of Macron’s flagship initiatives. The reform proposes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, a measure that has faced sharp criticism from both the left and the far right. While Bayrou promised to discuss potential changes, he ruled out scrapping the reform altogether.
He also pledged to use Article 49.3 of the Constitution — which allows laws to be passed without a parliamentary vote — only in exceptional circumstances. This controversial provision previously sparked backlash when former Prime Minister Michel Barnier employed it to pass a budget, resulting in a vote of no confidence.
Bayrou aims to present the 2025 budget by mid-February. Until then, the country will operate under a temporary budget passed earlier this week to ensure the continuity of government institutions and programs.
