French PM Bayrou defends choices to lead country out of 'difficult situation'
France's Prime Minister François Bayrou mounted a vigorous defence on Monday night of his choices to lead the country out of its economic and political crisis.
Just over an hour after details of his first cabinet were announced, Bayrou went on live national television to explain the logic of recalling several names from previous administrations such as former prime ministers Elisabeth Borne, Manuel Valls.
“I think we're in the most difficult situation we've been in since the second world war," Bayrou told journalists Apolline de Malherbe and Benjamin Duhamel on BMF TV.
"It is a country that has no budget, no majority, in which a large number of French people think and believe that they are being left out, that no attention is being paid to them."
Bayrou said that Borne, who was premier between May 2022 and January 2024, would be his de facto number two.
“The country's number one challenge is education,” Bayrou added.
During the 90-minute interview, Bayrou attempted to present himself as a centrist, unifying figure. "If we want to fight the immense problems France is facing at the moment, we cannot let disagreements rule," he said.
The return of Valls came as a surprise. The 62-year-old served as François Hollande's premier between April 2014 and December 2016 and will take over as overseas territories minister after nearly a decade away from the white heat of power.
His priority will be to implement the rescue package for the battered Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte where Cyclone Chido left at least 35 dead and more than 2,500 injured.
Read more on RFI English
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