Francois Bayrou came into the spotlight in the 2002 presidential campaign when he slapped a child who tried to pick his pocket. He got eliminated in the first round after getting less than 7% of votes.

In a bid to end political turmoil, France's president named Francois Bayrou prime minister. One lawmaker likened France's crisis to a 'bad movie.'

The new prime minister, a Macron ally, must try to assemble a government, regain control of France’s deficit and satisfy warring political factions.