Can Francois Bayrou unite France’s moderates and keep Marine Le Pen at bay? | Paul Taylor

François Bayrou was minister of education when Emmanuel Macron was a schoolboy.

The 73-year-old centrist was recalled in a second attempt to break a parliamentary deadlock.

Bayrou effectively forced a hesitant Macron to appoint him by threatening to pull his MoDem party out of the president’s Ensemble’ alliance otherwise.

France already had the highest tax take and public spending as a proportion of national income of any EU country.

Macron precipitated the political crisis by dissolving parliament in June .

Bayrou himself noted on Friday that he was facing a Himalayan ’ task.