Former EU commissioner Barnier named as new French prime minister

Former EU commissioner and Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has been named by French President Emmanuel Macron as the country's next prime minister, the Élysée Palace announced on Thursday.

The appointment comes some two months after a snap parliamentary election called by Macron resulted in a broad left-wing alliance coming out on top.

But no party or political alliance secured enough seats in the National Assembly, resulting in a hung parliament and weeks of political uncertainty.

It remains to be seen whether Barnier will be able to form a government with a working majority.

The 73-year-old Barnier has a political career spanning decades and is an influential figure in France's centre-right Republicans party.

He was environment minister under François Mitterrand, foreign minister under Jacques Chirac and agriculture minister under Nicolas Sarkozy.

He has worked several times as an EU commissioner. He also served as the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator.