France's former EU Brexit negotiator named country's new premier

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday named Michel Barnier, who handled the EU's long and difficult Brexit negotiations, as the country's new premier.

“The President of the Republic has appointed Mr. Michel BARNIER as Prime Minister. He has tasked him with forming a unifying government to serve the country and the French people,” said a statement by Elysee Palace.

Center-right politician Barnier is a former European commissioner and French foreign minister.

He later served as the EU Commission's head of relations with the UK and was tasked with negotiating Britain's long and contentious process of divorce from the European Union.​​​​​​​