Michel Barnier

Michel Jean Barnier (French: [miʃɛl baʁnje] ; born 9 January 1951) is a French politician who was Prime Minister of France from September to December 2024. A member of a series of successive neo-Gaullist parties (UDR, RPR, UMP, LR), Barnier served in several French government positions under prime ministers from Édouard Balladur to François Fillon from 1993 to 2009. At the European Union (EU) level, Barnier was Commissioner for Regional Policy from 1999 to 2004, Commissioner for Internal Market and Services from 2010 to 2014 and vice-president of the European People's Party (EPP) from 2010 to 2015. From 2016 to 2021, he was the EU's chief negotiator on Britain's exit from the EU.

In August 2021, Barnier sought his party's nomination for President of France in the 2022 presidential election, but obtained third place at the 2021 The Republicans congress. In September 2024 President Emmanuel Macron appointed him to the premiership following the 2024 snap legislative election.

At the age of 73, Barnier was the oldest person to take office as prime minister under the Fifth Republic, succeeding Gabriel Attal, who was the youngest at 34. On 4 December 2024, three months into his tenure, his government was brought down by a vote of no confidence in Parliament. The following day, Barnier and his government resigned. Barnier was succeeded on 13 December by François Bayrou. His tenure as prime minister was the shortest under the Fifth Republic. In September 2025, he was elected to the National Assembly to represent Paris's 2nd constituency.

Barnier is a pro-European, Gaullist conservative. He has advocated for stricter controls on non-European immigration, expanding prison capacity and the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes.