France’s Prime Minister wants support for his budget cuts, so he explained them on YouTube

The French populace is not exactly known for its loyalty to Prime Ministers. Over the past decade, eight different individuals have occupied that office, and only one of those politicians held the seat for more than three years.

So if you’re sitting PM François Bayrou, and you presumably want to hang onto your powerful position, what can you do? Bayrou believes that current economic conditions make sweeping budget cuts necessary, but that move could sour his reputation with the public and compel President Emmanuel Macron to select a new head of government.

Faced with that dilemma, Bayrou has come up with a novel solution: He has launched a YouTube series that puts his budget cuts under the microscope. On August 5, he launched the first episode of an explainer format called FB Direct, which — despite what its title might evoke — can be found on Bayrou’s YouTube channel.

Bayrou opens up FB Direct by arguing that France is in the midst of an urgent moment that requires decisive action. “All politicians are going on a well-deserved vacation. I will not because the days we’re going to live through during these weeks of August and early September are absolutely crucial,” Bayrou said

. “This is the moment when everything is at stake.”

Even if Bayrou’s arguments fail to win over the citizens (and given his 12% approval rating, he faces an uphill battle), his chosen form of communication is fascinating. Creators on platforms like YouTube are becoming so influential in the political world that aspiring candidates must cater to them if they hope to connect with the next generation of voters. In that environment, Bayrou is determining whether the message is more important than the messenger. Can a creator-style political appeal work even when it’s presented by a boomer like Bayrou?

Bayrou’s budget cuts won’t be easy to sell, but if he sees some positive returns from FB Direct, other politicians could turn to YouTube to explain their own proposals. It has always surprised me, for example, that the sitting U.S. President is not more active on YouTube, given his growing presence there. But in all fairness — it’s complicated.