After days of deliberation, French President Emmanuel Macron turned to a longtime centrist ally in the hope he could unite the country's divided parliament.
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00:00François Beyrou is the third French Prime Minister of 2024.
00:05But just who is he, exactly?
00:08From south-western France, 73-year-old Beyrou calls himself a quote, man of the countryside.
00:15He is a political heavyweight who is no stranger to French politics.
00:19When Macron came into power in 2017, he was appointed Justice Minister, but was quickly
00:25forced to resign amid an investigation into alleged embezzlement of European Parliament
00:30funds.
00:31Beyrou became well-known to the French public when he was Education Minister from 1993-1997.
00:38His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability, as no single
00:42party holds a majority at the National Assembly.
00:45Macron's strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding a make-or-break
00:52power over the government.
00:54Beyrou's appointment is also in line with the President's efforts to build a non-aggression
00:58pact with the socialists, so that they commit not to vote against the government in any
01:02future confidence motion.