Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades.

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.

After days of deliberation, French President Emmanuel Macron turned to a longtime centrist ally in the hope he could unite the country's divided parliament.View on euronews