Emmanuel Macron vows to name new French Prime Minister within days

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would name a new prime minister “in the coming days” after Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday.

He rejected calls to stand down in the wake of the government’s collapse and said he would see his five-year mandate expire in 2027.

In a televised address, Macron said that after snap elections in July, new parliamentary elections could not be held in France for 10 months.

Just three months after he was appointed by Macron, Barnier’s government fell after lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in support of a motion against him.

The vote to remove Barnier was the first time in more than 60 years that a French government was toppled by parliament, a move Macron described as “unprecedented”.

He thanked Barnier for his “dedication” and “unwillingness to give up” during his brief tenure.

Macron accused the French far right and radical left of collaborating in an “anti-republican front”.

Addressing voters directly, he said that some of his political opponents have chosen “anarchy” and are not thinking about “you, the voters”, suggesting that his interest is in the next presidential elections.

Barnier will remain in office along with his ministers on a caretaker basis until a new government is appointed.

Names circulating for the new prime minister include Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and centrist former presidential candidate François Bayrou.

Macron said France could not afford to remain “stagnant”, and that the immediate focus of the new government would be the 2025 budget.