The morning began with François Bayrou's 1h45 meeting at the Élysée, initially reported as a rejection before culminating in his appointment as Prime Minister. The nomination, delayed multiple times since Barnier's censure nine days ago, came after intense negotiations that divided Macron's camp.
By afternoon, Bayrou's first speech at Matignon emphasized reconciliation while acknowledging France's deficit crisis. The Socialist Party offered conditional support by promising to withhold censure if Article 49.3 is abandoned, while Marine Le Pen signaled openness to dialogue.
Evening developments revealed Turkey's role in Assad's fall, with reports of pre-arranged Russian and Iranian non-intervention. As Bayrou met with Bruno Retailleau at Matignon, Moody's announced a credit rating downgrade to Aa3, citing political instability during the governmental transition.