Francois Bayrou

France's parliament adopted a "special budget law" to maintain key government functions until a new budget for the next year is passed, according to local media reports.

After lawmakers at the National Assembly — the lower chamber of the French parliament — voted in favor of the temporary law on Monday, senators unanimously approved it on Wednesday, broadcaster BFMTV said.

For the first time, Paris and Berlin will be connected today by a direct high-speed rail link, a bet towards a rail Europe over airline competition.

France’s new Prime Minister is what in Greece we call an “old hand” in politics. Having served in various ministries and under different governments, François Bayrou has played an important role in policy-making from both the right and the centre.

French President Emmanuel Macron has named François Bayrou as France's new prime minister, marking the fourth such appointment this year amidst the country's ongoing political and financial crises.

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) poses with French President of the Modem party Francois Bayrou and mayor of Pau Francois Bayrou (L) on the balcony of the city hall during a visit in Pau, southwestern France, on July 6, 2023

The French president’s close ally, centrist François Bayrou, whose name is often mentioned to succeed caretaker Prime Minister Michel Barnier, was expected at the presidential palace for a meeting with Emmanuel Macron around 08:30 local time (09:30 GMT), according to sources close to the consultations.

French President Emmanuel Macron will likely name a new prime minister on Thursday, a government source told AFP on Wednesday, almost a week into a political crisis sparked by Michel Barnier's ouster as premier.

The nomination will come "more likely when (Macron) returns" in the evening from a day-long visit to Poland, the source added.

In the search for a prime minister in France, Emanuel Macron following the result of the vote in the National Assembly that led to the fall of Michel Barnier’s government. The result marks the first time a French government has lost a confidence vote since 1962. The French president will deliver a speech tonight at 21:00 (local time).

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has named a group of relative unknowns to senior government cabinet posts over traditional allies after a series of high-profile resignations.

As a spokesman announced the names of ministers appointed, political analysts said many voters would be left asking: “Who?”

President Emmanuel Macron's allies from the under-fire MoDem party quit the government, complicating what had been billed as a routine ministerial reshuffle days after his party emphatically won parliamentary elections.