France: Déjà vu
Also: Turkey, the Horn of Africa, Canada, and Papua New Guinea.
The five things you need to know today:
FRANCE. Macron is set to appoint a new prime minister.
TURKEY. Ankara positions itself at the centre of great power competition.
HORN OF AFRICA. An accord with Ethiopia isn’t the end of Somalia’s troubles.
CANADA. Alleged retaliation plans are more about domestic politics than Trump.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Washington and Canberra eye a new full-back position.
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FRANCE. Déjà vu
Macron is set to appoint a new prime minister.
Emmanuel Macron was due to appoint centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister Friday, insiders said. The MoDem (Democratic Movement) leader and ex-minister left the presidential place this morning after an hour and 45 minutes.
INTELLIGENCE. Bayrou is mayor of Pau, near to where Macron spent much of his youth. The two have a more recent association in their commitment to third-way politics. From "la France profonde" of villages and towns, in which the National Rally (RN) has made inroads, Bayrou is ideally positioned to take back the votes the president has lost while sticking to Macronist reforms (including on France’s fiscal mess). Assuming the reports are true, it’ll be a big task.
FOR BUSINESS. France's deficit is at 6.1%, twice the EU limit. Whoever is appointed will be Macron's sixth premier. Their key task will be to reduce the overhang without suffering another no-confidence vote. Macron will hope RN will be dissuaded from pulling such a trigger, following its unexpected by-election loss in Ardennes shortly after the previous government’s collapse. But RN will hope it’s someone in the Palais de l'Élysée who’ll lose their job instead.
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TURKEY. Frenemies with everyone
Ankara positions itself at the centre of great power competition.
Ties with Ankara had not been harmed by events in Syria, Moscow said Thursday. Turkey hosted Antony Blinken as its intelligence chief reportedly visited Syria. Iran and Turkey hoped to increase trade to $30 billion per year, Tehran said.
INTELLIGENCE. Despite the defeat of their ally, Tehran and Moscow are showing remarkable sangfroid over events in Damascus and