50-406: Eugène Henri Brisson ( French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ʁi bʁisɔ̃] ; 31 July 1835 – 14 April 1912) was a French statesman, Prime Minister of France for a period in 1885-1886 and again in 1898. He was born at Bourges ( Cher ), and followed his father's profession of advocate. Having made his mark in opposition during the last days of the empire, he was appointed deputy-mayor of Paris after
100-612: A European Commissioner for Regional Policy in the Prodi Commission from 1999 until 2004. He subsequently served as Foreign Minister in Jean-Pierre Raffarin 's government until June 2005 when Dominique de Villepin replaced him with Philippe Douste-Blazy . From 2006 until 2015, Barnier was vice-president of the European People's Party . In 2007, under Nicolas Sarkozy 's presidency, he re-joined
150-414: A "coherent single market with intelligent rules that apply everywhere". As European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Barnier handled many important issues, such as the reform of the financial sector (40 pieces of legislation between 2010 and 2014), the banking union (starting with European Banking Supervision ) and the digital single market. Barnier stood unsuccessfully for the nomination of
200-453: A Eurosceptic and Brexit supporter, contradicting previous positions he had taken on the matter. In 1981, Barnier voted for the abolition of capital punishment , following a number of other right-wing deputies in breaking party instructions not to do so. In the same year, he was among the conservative politicians, including Jacques Chirac and François Fillon , who voted against reducing the age of consent for same-sex relationships to 15,
250-527: A new cabinet in June 1898. Brisson's firmness and honesty increased popular respect for him, but a chance vote on a matter of especial excitement overthrew his ministry in October. As a leader of the radicals he actively supported the ministries of Waldeck-Rousseau and Combes , especially concerning the laws on the religious orders and the separation of church and state. In May 1906, he was re-elected president of
300-470: A referendum on whether to tighten the legal framework for immigration in France. As a candidate, he stated his intention in "putting a stop to non-European immigration for three to five years," during an interview with French weekly magazine Le Point . He proposed to "immediately stop regularizations, rigorously limit family reunification, reduce the reception of foreign students and the systematic execution of
350-617: A series of Gaullist parties ( UDR , RPR , UMP , LR ), Barnier has served in several French cabinet positions, including as Minister of the Environment from 1993 to 1995, Minister Delegate for European Affairs from 1995 to 1997, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2005, and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries from 2007 to 2009. At the European Union (EU) level, Barnier was European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services from 2010 to 2014 and vice-president of
400-536: Is the holder of the second-highest office in France, after the president of France . The president, who appoints but cannot dismiss the prime minister, can request resignation. The Government of France , including the prime minister, can be dismissed by the National Assembly . Upon appointment, the prime minister proposes a list of ministers to the president. Decrees and decisions signed by the prime minister, like almost all executive decisions, are subject to
450-701: Is the only member of the government able to introduce legislation in Parliament. Under the Third Republic , the French Constitutional Laws of 1875 titled the head of government as the "President of the Council of Ministers" ( French : Président du Conseil des Ministres ), though he was informally called "prime minister" or "premier" outside of France . The president of the council was vested with similar formal powers to those of
500-462: The 2024 snap legislative election . He is the oldest person to take office as prime minister under the Fifth Republic . Barnier is a pro-European , Gaullist conservative. He has advocated for stricter controls on extra-European immigration, expanding prison capacity and the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes. Michel Jean Barnier was born at La Tronche in
550-723: The Amato Group , a group of high-level European politicians unofficially working on rewriting the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe into what became known as the Treaty of Lisbon following its rejection by French and Dutch voters. Barnier led the UMP list in Ile-de-France for the 2009 European Parliament election . In February 2010 he was confirmed as European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services . In charge of European banking system reform, he argued for
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#1732787809717600-560: The European People's Party (EPP) from 2010 to 2015. From October 2016 to 2021, he was the EU's chief negotiator on Britain's exit from the European Union . In August 2021, Barnier sought his party's nomination for President of France in the 2022 presidential election , but obtained third place at the 2021 The Republicans congress . In September 2024, he was appointed to the prime ministership by President Emmanuel Macron following
650-602: The European People's Party to become President of the European Commission in March 2014, losing to Jean-Claude Juncker . He was twice appointed Acting Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship in Antonio Tajani 's stead – first from 19 April to 25 May 2014, while Tajani was on electoral campaign leave for the 2014 European Parliament elections , and secondly from 1 to 16 July 2014, after Tajani
700-501: The Fifth Republic . It was at this point that the post was formally named "Prime Minister" and took its present form. The 1958 Constitution includes several provisions intended to strengthen the prime minister's position, for instance by restricting the legislature's power to censure the government. As a result, a prime minister has only been censured once during the existence of the Fifth Republic, in 1962 when Georges Pompidou
750-578: The French Alps , into a Gaullist family in 1951. His father, Jean Barnier, was a leather and textiles craftsman. His mother, Denise Durand, was a practising member of the Christian left , who founded a local chapter of the Ligue contre la violence routière [ fr ] . Barnier is the youngest of the couple's three sons. In his youth, Barnier was a scout and choirboy. He graduated from
800-778: The legislative election of 1986 . While Mitterrand's Socialist Party was the largest party in the National Assembly, it did not have an absolute majority. The RPR had an alliance with the Union for French Democracy , which gave them a majority. While prime ministers are usually chosen from amongst the ranks of the National Assembly, on rare occasions the president has selected a non-officeholder because of experience in bureaucracy or foreign service, or success in business management—former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin , for example, served as prime minister from 2005 to 2007 without having held elected office. Although
850-464: The prime minister of the United Kingdom . In practice, this proved insufficient to command the confidence of France's multi-party parliament. Most notably, the legislature had the power to force the entire cabinet out of office by a vote of censure . As a result, cabinets were often toppled twice a year, and there were long stretches where France was left with only a caretaker government. Under
900-554: The École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP) in 1972. During his studies at the ESCP, he was a classmate of Jean-Pierre Raffarin , future prime minister, and a member of the Conférence Olivaint , a student organisation intended to prepare members for political life. Barnier served on the staff of various Gaullist ministers in the 1970s, before being elected in 1978, aged 27, to the National Assembly as deputy for
950-613: The BBC described Barnier as "a committed, patriotic conservative in the tradition of ... Charles de Gaulle ". In a conversation with Politico during July 2024, after the 7 July snap election , Barnier said France's most pressing issues were immigration, the state of its public finances and rebuilding its industrial and agricultural capacities. Upon his appointment as prime minister, he listed his main priorities as education, security and immigration control. During his 2021 presidential campaign, Barnier stated he would be in favour of proposing
1000-677: The Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture . In 2016, the investigating judge Sabine Kheris requested that the case of Barnier, Dominique de Villepin and Michèle Alliot-Marie be referred to the Court of Justice of the Republic. The former ministers were suspected of having allowed the exfiltration of the mercenaries responsible for the attack on the Bouaké penal camp during the 2004 Ivory Coast conflict , killing nine French soldiers. Supporters of
1050-601: The Constitution, the prime minister "shall direct the actions of the Government". Additionally, Article 20 stipulates that the government "shall determine and conduct the policy of the Nation", and it includes domestic issues, while the president concentrates on formulating directions on national defense and foreign policy while arbitrating the efficient service of all governmental authorities in France. Other members of
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#17327878097171100-667: The European Commission's Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom (UK Task Force/UKTF). He was the main negotiator for the 2020 trade deal talks between the UK and EU , receiving his negotiating mandate from the European Council on 25 February 2020. In January 2021, Barnier was appointed special adviser to President Ursula von der Leyen overseeing the ratification of the EU – UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement , under new arrangements that handed responsibility for implementing
1150-519: The Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo accused the French government of using the attack as a pretext for military retaliation against him. Barnier worked in 2006 as a special adviser to José Manuel Barroso , then President of the European Commission , and presented a report to the Council of Ministers proposing the creation of a European civil-protection force. During 2006–2007, he served as member of
1200-527: The agreement to Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič . In February 2021, Barnier set up a political faction within the Republicans under the name "Patriot and European" in preparation for a possible bid in the 2022 presidential election . On 27 August 2021, Barnier launched his presidential campaign. At the party's 2021 congress in December, he placed third in the first round of voting with 23.93% of
1250-551: The chamber of deputies by 500 out of 581 votes. Changes Changes Attribution: Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (French: Premier ministre français ), officially the prime minister of the French Republic ( Premier ministre de la République française ), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers . The prime minister
1300-412: The circumstances, the president of the council was usually a fairly weak figure whose strength was more dependent on charisma than formal powers. Often, he was little more than primus inter pares , and was more the cabinet's chairman than its leader. After several unsuccessful attempts to strengthen the role in the first half of the twentieth century, a semi-presidential system was introduced under
1350-550: The council. In 1992, he co-organised the Winter Olympics in Albertville . Barnier first joined the Cabinet as Minister of the Environment following the right's landslide victory in the 1993 legislative election . In 1995, Jacques Chirac appointed him Minister for European Affairs, a role in which he served until the defeat of the presidential majority in the 1997 legislative election . Barnier then served as
1400-479: The department of Savoie representing the neo-Gaullists , Rally for the Republic (RPR), serving until 1993. In the 1980s, he voted for the abolition of capital punishment and against reducing the age of consent for same-sex relationships to that of mixed-sex couples. Barnier became the youngest president of the departmental council of Savoie in 1982, following a deal called the Union for Savoie [ fr ] between right-wing and centrist parties in
1450-409: The double penalty". He also proposed expanding prison capacity by 20,000 and imposing mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes. On economic issues, Barnier has been characterised as close to the neoliberal policies of Emmanuel Macron, including the reduction of taxes and business regulation. As a presidential candidate, Barnier proposed cutting production taxes by €10 billion, raising
1500-538: The government are appointed by the president "on the recommendation of the prime minister". In practice, the prime minister acts in harmony with the president, except when there is a cohabitation . During cohabitation, according to the Constitutional Council, "the center of gravity of power shifts from the Elysée to Matignon", with the president losing his status as head of the executive. In such cases,
1550-529: The government still has support in the house, some bills that might prove too controversial to pass through the normal assembly rules are able to be passed this way. The prime minister may also submit a bill that has not been yet signed into law to the Constitutional Council (article 61). Before dissolving the assembly, the president must consult the prime minister and the presidents of both houses of Parliament (article 12). The prime minister
Henri Brisson - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-579: The government was overthrown. He was elected to the Assembly on 8 February 1871, as a member of the extreme Left . While not approving of the Commune , he was the first to propose amnesty for the condemned (on 13 September 1871), but the proposal was voted down. He strongly supported compulsory primary education, and was firmly anti-clerical. He was president of the chamber from 1881 — replacing Léon Gambetta — to March 1885, when he became prime minister upon
1650-771: The leader of the Socialist Party, accused Macron of a "denial of democracy." Jean-Luc Mélenchon , the leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise , said that Macron had "stolen" the election by not appointing a prime minister from the New Popular Front and called for protests against the new government. According to France's Interior Ministry , around 110,000 people took part in these protests, which were held in Paris, Montauban , Nice , Lille , Strasbourg and Montpellier , as well as in several rural areas. Following his appointment as prime minister in 2024,
1700-415: The leftist New Popular Front with a plurality of seats, Macron's centrist to centre-right Ensemble , and the far-right National Rally . Marine Le Pen , the leader of National Rally, praised Barnier as "respectful of National Rally voters", but expressed caution as to his legislative agenda. The New Popular Front rejected Barnier's appointment and called for demonstrations against Macron. Olivier Faure ,
1750-471: The oversight of the administrative court system. Some decrees are taken after advice from the Council of State (French: Conseil d'État ), over which the prime minister is entitled to preside. Ministers defend the programmes of their ministries to the prime minister, who makes budgetary choices. The extent to which those decisions lie with the prime minister or president often depends upon whether they are of
1800-405: The power to force the resignation of the government by adopting a motion of no confidence , the choice of prime minister must reflect the will of the majority in the National Assembly. In periods of cohabitation , the prime minister is only responsible to the parliament. One example of cohabitation includes President François Mitterrand 's appointment of Jacques Chirac as prime minister after
1850-429: The president's choice of prime minister must be in accordance with the majority in the National Assembly, a prime minister does not have to ask for a vote of confidence after a government formation, having been legitimized by the president's assignment and approval of the government. Prior to the 1958 Constitution, the government was required to pass a motion of confidence upon entering office. According to article 21 of
1900-461: The prime minister traditionally exercises primacy in domestic affairs, while the president limits their action to defense and, to a lesser degree, to foreign affairs. The prime minister can "engage the responsibility" of the government before the National Assembly. This process consists of placing a bill before the assembly, and either the assembly overthrows the government, or the bill is passed automatically (article 49). In addition to ensuring that
1950-402: The raising of the retirement age to 64. On immigration he said, "There still is a feeling that our borders are sieves and that migration flows aren't being controlled." In an interview, he remarked that the new government would include the "presidential camp" and "maybe maybe ministers of the previous government". Barnier is faced with a National Assembly divided nearly evenly into three blocs:
2000-539: The resignation of Jules Ferry ; but he resigned when, after the general elections of that year , he only just obtained a majority for the vote of credit for the Tonkin expedition . He remained conspicuous as a public man, took a prominent part in exposing the Panama scandals , was a strong candidate for the presidency of France after the murder of President Carnot in 1894; however, he lost to Jean Casimir-Perier . Brisson
2050-467: The retirement age from 62 to 65, lengthening the working week and tightening the conditions for access to social assistance. Barnier is regarded as pro-European , as supporting NATO, and as favouring support for Ukraine in its war against Russia . He was described as a "Euro-ecstatic" by François Cornut-Gentille , his supporter and colleague in the Republicans. During his presidential campaign, many media organisations commented that Barnier sounded like
Henri Brisson - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-579: The same as that for mixed-sex couples. He has made few statements on same-sex relations in the years since. Barnier has been a member of the Sustainability and Legacy Commission of the International Olympic Committee , and of the board of trustees of Friends of Europe, a Brussels-based think tank . In 2021, he published My Secret Brexit Diary , a memoir of the EU's negotiations with the UK during its withdrawal from
2150-423: The same political party. If so, the president may serve as both the head of state and de facto head of government, while the prime minister serves as his deputy. The current prime minister is Michel Barnier , who was appointed on 5 September 2024. The prime minister is appointed by the president of France , who is theoretically free to pick anyone for the post. In practice, because the National Assembly has
2200-412: The three following years. Following gains by opposition parties in the legislative elections called by President Emmanuel Macron in the summer of 2024, the prime minister , Gabriel Attal , resigned. Macron initially refused his resignation but accepted it on 16 July. On 5 September, Barnier was appointed as prime minister by Macron. The period between Attal's resignation and Barnier's appointment
2250-518: The vote of confidence (with a minimum of 289 out of 577 votes) and submitting the 2025 budget by 1 October to parliament according to Reuters , further remarking that it would "be no easy task with the budget deficit already this year running billions of euros over target, leaving Barnier tough choices about calibrating spending cuts and tax rises" and risking the government's position in parliament. On 6 September, Barnier stated that he would continue some of Macron's policies, including refusing to repeal
2300-479: The vote, after Éric Ciotti (on 25.59%) and Valérie Pécresse (on 25.00%); he subsequently endorsed Pécresse. Pécresse was nominated in the second round with 61% of the vote, and proceeded to place in fifth place in the first round of the presidential election, the worst result ever recorded by the Republicans or their Gaullist predecessors She endorsed Macron for the second round of the election. After his defeat, Barnier retreated from front-line politics for most of
2350-527: Was elected and took up his seat. From 2015, Barnier served as an unpaid special adviser to Juncker on defence policy. On 27 July 2016, Barnier was announced as the European Commission's chief negotiator with the United Kingdom over leaving the European Union , under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union . Commenting on the appointment, Juncker said: "I wanted an experienced politician for this difficult job." From 2019 to 2021, Barnier led
2400-569: Was once again president of the chamber from December 1894 to 1898. Brisson stood once again as a candidate for the presidency of France in 1895, but lost once again to Félix Faure . Following the 1898 French legislative election , whilst the country was violently excited over the Dreyfus affair , the incumbent Premier , Jules Méline , lost the confidence of the Chamber of Deputies - subsequently allowing Brisson be re-appointed as Premier and form
2450-495: Was the longest period that the French Fifth Republic had spent without a prime minister. Barnier is the oldest prime minister in modern French history. Dominique Moïsi , a French political scientist, described Barnier as a compromise candidate, chosen to be acceptable to parties from the centre, the right and the far right. Barnier's initial challenges as Prime Minister will be forming a new government, passing
2500-491: Was toppled over opposition objections to President Charles de Gaulle 's effort to have the president popularly elected. At the ensuing 1962 French legislative election , de Gaulle's coalition won an increased majority, and Pompidou was reappointed prime minister. Michel Barnier Michel Jean Barnier ( French: [miʃɛl baʁnje] ; born 9 January 1951) is a French politician who has served as Prime Minister of France since 5 September 2024. A member of
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