Macron's morning Council of Ministers marked Barnier's farewell and unveiled the "special law" to prevent state paralysis. The law allows basic tax collection but freezes fiscal reforms, affecting 18 million taxpayers. By early afternoon, news shifted between domestic transition and Syrian developments, with HTS consolidating control in Damascus while meeting Christian bishops in Aleppo. Mohammed al-Bachir's appointment as transition leader coincided with France calling for Israeli withdrawal from the Golan buffer zone.
Evening coverage returned to the premier nomination, with Socialist leader Faure explicitly rejecting Bayrou's candidacy while advocating for left-wing participation. The anticipated Thursday announcement of Barnier's successor overshadowed other developments, including FIFA's confirmation of World Cup 2030 for Spain-Portugal-Morocco and 2034 for Saudi Arabia. Reports of Ukraine using American ATACMS missiles against Russian targets emerged as secondary news.