Former EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has been appointed by President Emmanuel Macron as France's new prime minister on Thursday, two months after snap elections resulted in political deadlock.

"This appointment comes after an unprecedented cycle of consultations during which, in accordance with his constitutional duty, the president ensured that the prime minister and the future government would meet the conditions to be as stable as possible and give themselves the chances of uniting as broadly as possible," a statement from the president's office read.

Barnier has been tasked "with forming a unifying government to serve the country and the French people" by accommodating the three political blocs in the National Assembly.

The politician is set to succeed France's youngest prime minister, Gabriel Attal, who resigned after the parliamentary elections.

Who is Michel Barnier?

The 73-year-old has a long political career, carrying out senior duties in both France and the European Union.

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1978 - Elected to parliament aged 27, representing the centre-right Savoie district.

1993-95 - Appointed as environment minister

1995-97 - Became France's Europe minister

1999-2004 - EU regional policy commissioner, responsible for grants and subsidies accounting for a third of the Union's budget

2004-05 - Became France's foreign minister

2007-09 - Assumed the role of agriculture minister

2010-14 - Became EU commissioner for internal markets and services, leading negotiations concerning extensive new regulation of financial markets following the global crash

2016 - EU's Brexit negotiator after the UK's exit from the bloc, leading talks with its government until 2019

2021 - Failed to obtain nomination as the conservative, right-wing Republicans (LR) party for the 2022 presidential election, which sought to limit and control immigration