Following early parliamentary elections and nearly two months of waiting, the French President has appointed a new Prime Minister to succeed Gabriel Attal. After extensive negotiations with key political figures, Emmanuel Macron chose Michel Barnier, a member of the classical right. This is seen as positive news for Morocco. Barnier held several ministerial positions under the presidencies of François Mitterrand (during the second cohabitation with Prime Minister Edouard Balladur), Jacques Chirac, and Nicolas Sarkozy. Notably, he led French diplomacy from 2004 to 2005. In this role, well before Morocco presented its autonomy plan for the Sahara in 2007, he publicly advocated for «a political solution» to the conflict «between all parties». «The Western Sahara question is a complex and longstanding issue. Naturally, a political solution must be found to achieve an integrated Maghreb. What I can say is that we, along with Spain, support encouraging political dialogue, of course within the framework of the United Nations, between all parties involved. Our aim in this matter is to promote political dialogue», he explained in an interview in September 2004. During an official visit to Algiers in July of the same year, Barnier defended this position, urging the Algerian authorities to engage in direct dialogue with Morocco on the issue. «Morocco and Algeria don't need a guardian to facilitate dialogue with each other or with other Maghreb countries. Dialogue is not only useful but fundamental, and we encourage it», he emphasized during a press briefing with his Algerian counterpart, Abdelaziz Belkhadem. In July 2025, France officially recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, a move welcomed by both the right and the far-right in France.
