The Japan Times - Clock ticks down on France government nomination

The widely-expected announcement of the government of new prime minister Francois Bayrou was postponed on Sunday.

On Monday, the Elysee presidential palace said the new cabinet would not be announced before 1700 GMT due to a day of mourning for the victims in the cyclone-hit French overseas territory of Mayotte.

French politics has been deadlocked since Macron gambled on snap elections this year. The move backfired with no party or alliance securing a majority.

The country was plunged into fresh chaos this month after the far right and left joined forces to oust prime minister Michel Barnier, the shortest lived premier in the Fifth Republic which began in 1958.

Bayrou, appointed on December 13, had said he hoped that his new administration would be presented "over the weekend" and "in any case before Christmas".

Macron and Bayrou held a series of talks Sunday but contrary to expectations the composition of a new administration was not announced.

On Monday, France observes a national day of mourning for the cyclone victims in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte, where at least 35 people were killed and 2,500 injured.

"The length of this auditioning process... is unbearable," far-right National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy told broadcaster BFMTV-RMC.

Bayrou's priority is to make sure his government can survive a no-confidence vote and that it passes a budget for next year.

He is hoping to bring in figures from the left, right and centre to protect his government from possible censure but exclude the hard left and far-right.

Bayrou is the sixth prime minister of Macron's mandate, and the fourth of 2024.

Many commentators are already predicting Bayrou's premiership will be short-lived.

- 'Already weakened' -

The fate of top posts remained uncertain but former prime minister Elisabeth Borne, former interior minister Gerald Darmanin, and Xavier Bertrand, the right-wing head of the northern Hauts-de-France region, have been mentioned as possible members of Bayrou's team.

Outgoing interior minister Bruno Retailleau, a conservative who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, was expected to keep his job however.

Right-wimg culture minister Rachida Dati and defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu might also keep their jobs.

Bayrou has endured a tumultuous first week as premier, after facing criticism for attending a hall meeting in his home city of Pau, where he is mayor, while Mayotte grappled with the deadly aftermath of Cyclone Chido.

A new poll by Ifop for the Journal du Dimanche weekly found 66 percent of respondents were unhappy with his performance.

Only 34 percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with Bayrou.

Going to back to 1959, Ifop said it had not seen such a low rating for a prime minister starting the job.

"Francois Bayrou, still without a government and already weakened," said French daily Le Monde.

Hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed party (LFI) has vowed to table a motion of no confidence when Bayrou gives a policy speech to parliament on January 14.

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Y.Kato--JT