New French PM has Europe's interests 'at heart': EU chief

EUROPEAN Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday (Sep 5) welcomed the nomination of the European Union’s former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as France’s prime minister.

“Congratulations,” said von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive arm.

“I know that Michel Barnier has the interests of Europe and France at heart, as his long experience shows. I wish him every success in his new mission,” she added in the post on X.

At 73, he is the oldest premier in the history of modern France, succeeding Gabriel Attal, who was the country’s youngest prime minister.

Barnier served as French foreign minister but also as EU commissioner in Brussels and had also unsuccessfully sought the role of European Commission president in 2014.

But Barnier is best known for negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union on behalf of the bloc from 2016 to 2020.

He worked closely with von der Leyen in that role after she came to power in 2019. He then served briefly as her special advisor on Brexit in 2021, after the EU-UK divorce.

The European Parliament president also offered her “warmest congratulations”.

“In all the positions he has held, Michel Barnier has demonstrated leadership, vision and organisational skills,” Roberta Metsola said on X.

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“I am confident that he will make the best use of his experience and skills as the new French prime minister,” she added. AFP