Barnier confirms: A candidate for the presidency

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Former EU negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier, wants to be the next president of France, as confirmed on French TV.

Thus, President Emmanuel Macron obtained a strong rival from the right.

“In these difficult times, I made the decision to stand up to become president of a France of reconciliation, to respect the French, to respect France,” says Barnier in the TF1 evening news.

The former chief negotiator, who first needs to win the conservative Gaullist party primaries, Republica (LR), has extensive experience in politics, both nationally and within the European Union.

According to most observers, the French presidential election this spring is likely to be a duel between centrist Macron and far-right rival Marine Le Pen of the National Assembly (RN). However, Barnier’s message could change the playing field. In the last election, Republican candidate Francois Fillon was in good standing in public opinion before having to throw in the towel after he was caught cheating, and later sentenced to prison.

When asked why Barnier wanted to challenge Macron, the right-wing politician replied that he wanted to “change the country”, “restore state power” and “reduce and control immigration”.

The French presidential elections will be held in two rounds in April 2022.