PARIS: France’s new government will not be announced before 1700 GMT Monday evening due to a day of mourning for the victims of the disaster in cyclone-hit Mayotte, the Elysee said.
France will observe a national day of mourning for the victims of the disaster in the Indian Ocean archipelago, where at least 35 people were killed.
Francois Bayrou, a 73-year-old centrist appointed prime minister on December 13 after the fall of a short-lived conservative-led government, is aiming to name a new government by Christmas.
President Emmanuel Macron and Bayrou held a series of talks Sunday but — contrary to expectations — the composition of a new administration was not announced on Sunday evening.
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.
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.
French politics has been deadlocked since Macron gambled on snap elections this year. The move backfired, with no party or alliance securing a majority.
