François Bayrou

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François Bayrou is a French centrist politician and long-time public figure. Born on May 25, 1951, in Bordères, he leads the Democratic Movement (MoDem) since 2007 and has headed the European Democratic Party (EDP) since 2004. He has held many roles in French politics, balancing local, national, and European duties.

Education and early career
Bayrou trained as a teacher of literature and taught in Pau, in the Béarn area. He wrote on politics and history and is known for his interest in education and civic reform. He is a Roman Catholic who supports laïcité, France’s principle of state neutrality in religious matters. He has five children and enjoys raising horses.

Political career highlights
- Minister of National Education from 1993 to 1997, serving in several governments.
- Member of the National Assembly for Pyrénées-Atlantiques multiple times (1986–1993, 1997–1999, 2002–2012) and a Member of the European Parliament (1999–2002).
- Mayor of Pau since 2014, a position he has held while also pursuing national and European roles.
- Leader of MoDem since its creation as a formal party in 2007, and president of the EDP since 2004.
- Presidential candidate in 2002, 2007 and 2012. In 2007, he finished third and later founded MoDem to promote centrist politics.
- In 2017, he endorsed Emmanuel Macron for president and was appointed Minister of Justice in the government of Edouard Philippe. He resigned later that year amid a financing scandal involving MoDem workers; he was cleared of those accusations in 2024.

Prime Minister and later years
On December 13, 2024, Emmanuel Macron named Bayrou as Prime Minister after a no-confidence vote toppled the Barnier government. Bayrou’s term faced heavy budget pressures and multiple no-confidence motions. In September 2025, the National Assembly rejected the government in a confidence vote, making his second French government the first in the Fifth Republic to lose such a vote. Bayrou resigned as prime minister on September 9, 2025, while continuing to serve as Mayor of Pau.

Controversies and current status
Bayrou has been involved in ongoing debates about political reform and governance, including proposals for proportional representation in legislative elections. In 2025, he faced attention over the Bétharram abuse investigations, where allegations about handling abuse by a Catholic group were raised. Bayrou has denied wrongdoing, and the Bélatharram case remains part of broader legal proceedings. Separately, he was acquitted of fraud charges related to earlier allegations in 2024.

Summary
Bayrou is a veteran centrist figure who has influenced French politics at local, national, and European levels. He has led MoDem and the EDP, held major government roles, and twice led a French government as prime minister, with a career marked by reform proposals, coalition-building, and continued public service alongside ongoing legal and ethical debates.