France observed a national day of mourning for Mayotte's cyclone victims, with nationwide minutes of silence at 11:00. The Élysée postponed Bayrou's cabinet announcement until after 18:00 out of respect. Throughout the day, reports emerged of continuing water shortages in Mayotte's bidonvilles.
The evening brought Bayrou's cabinet announcement, marking the return of several political figures thought retired: Elisabeth Borne as Education Minister, Manuel Valls at Overseas Territories, and Gérald Darmanin moving to Justice. Xavier Bertrand publicly refused participation, citing RN influence - a claim Bayrou later denied in his first TV interview.
In subsequent interviews, Bayrou revealed Macron's initial reluctance to appoint him, refused to suspend the pension reform, and announced he wouldn't seek parliament's confidence vote, setting up potential confrontations with both left and right.