French President Emmanuel Macron is slated to deliver a televised address at 8 p.m. on Thursday, though it remains uncertain whether he will announce the appointment of a new prime minister during the broadcast.
The choice of a successor to outgoing Prime Minister Michel Barnier is not immediately clear, though several potential candidates have been suggested by French media. These include Sébastien Lecornu, the French minister of armed forces; François Bayrou, a centrist ally of Macron; as well as two former prime ministers, Jean Castex and Bernard Cazeneuve.
In France, caretaker governments—formed during transitions between administrations—are generally short-lived, lasting only a few days. However, an exception occurred last summer after snap elections, when former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal continued to function as a caretaker leader for several weeks following his formal resignation in July.
A document from the prime minister’s internal office, distributed to ministries during July’s caretaker government period and obtained by POLITICO, outlines the limited responsibilities of cabinet members during these transitions. According to this official note, ministers are restricted to managing issues that are devoid of political controversy or complex legal challenges and are expected to focus solely on handling emergencies.
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