Ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who was toppled in a historic no-confidence vote on Wednesday, made extraordinary calm his trademark across a half-century in politics, but goes down as the shortest-serving PM in French history.
Brought in by President Emmanuel Macron in September to run a minority government after inconclusive parliamentary elections, Barnier often said that knowing how “to keep one’s cool” was essential to managing the thorny task.
His “sang-froid” was in evidence in his previous role as the European Union’s chief negotiator in Brexit talks with the British government.
He also kept his cool in parliament on Wednesday evening, speaking just before the far right and hard left ousted his government in a historic no-confidence vote.
“I’m not afraid,” said the 73-year-old. “I’ve rarely been afraid in my political life.”
