PARIS — Getting ousted from government has not appeared to hinder Michel Barnier’s ambitions.
Barnier, the former French prime minister whose government fell to a motion of no confidence after just three months, publicly opened the door Tuesday to running for president during the next election scheduled for 2027 in an interview with French media.
Barnier, a well-known figure in London and Brussels for representing the European Union during the Brexit negotiations, has kept a low profile since setting the record for the shortest-ever tenure for a prime minister during France’s Fifth Republic, which was founded in 1958.
Mounting a successful presidential bid after such an unceremonious end to his premiership is a long shot. The 74-year-old would need to make the case to French voters that he would be best placed to lead France in an increasingly uncertain global order despite having failed to navigate a fragmented political landscape domestically.
Barnier ran for president in 2022, but fell at the first hurdle, placing third in his conservative Les Républicains party’s internal primary.
The competition may be even stiffer this time around, as other centrists and conservative contenders appear to have the edge.
A poll from Harris Interactive released last week shows Barnier enjoying less support than two other former prime ministers, Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal.
Within his own conservative party, Les Républicains, looms Bruno Retailleau, who has seen his approval rating surge since Barnier appointed him interior minister six months ago.
During his interview, Barnier stopped short of formally announcing a run, but outlined what could be the basis for a presidential platform. He vowed to fight what he perceives as the French administration’s “powerlessness” on issues like state finances and immigration; tackle inflation; and streamline bureaucracy.
Still, Barnier’s allies see arguments in his favor. A Les Républicains lawmaker close to Barnier stressed that that Barnier enjoyed a better approval rating than his centrist successor during his stint as head of government.
“Michel isn’t ruling anything out,” the member of parliament told POLITICO.
For his part, Barnier said he hopes to “be useful” and act as “a solution for the unity of [his political] camp.”
“The campaign starts now,” he said.
Pauline de Saint Remy and Elisa Bertholomey contributed to this report.
The post Look who’s back! Barnier for French president? appeared first on Politico.
