MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

France: Macron appoints new Prime Minister

Despite Lecornu's appointment, protests are expected demanding Macron's resignation

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Sébastien Lecornu, his Defense Minister and a close ally, as the new Prime Minister. Lecornu replaces François Bayrou, who resigned after losing a confidence vote in the National Assembly after only nine months in power.

 At 39 years old, Lecornu is Macron's seventh prime minister and the fifth since 2022. He is seen as a highly skilled and discreet political operator who has been with the government since 2017.

Lecornu's primary task is to find consensus in a fragmented parliament to pass a new national budget and ensure political stability. The National Assembly is divided into three main blocs, making it difficult to form a governing majority.

The appointment comes as France is preparing for massive anti-government protests. The “Bloquons-Tout” collective, along with other activists, has planned up to 600 demonstrations across the country for Wednesday, with security forces preparing to deploy 80,000 personnel.

The appointment was widely expected by analysts. While some political figures expressed hope that Lecornu can find a way to build a consensus, opponents, including Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally and the Socialist Party, criticized the choice, arguing that Macron is failing to address the institutional stalemate.

Since 2017, the new French Prime Minister has been mayor and has headed departments such as Ecological Transition and Overseas Territories. In 2022, he was appointed Minister of the Armed Forces.

A statement from the French presidency read that Lecornu must “consult with the political parties represented in Parliament with a view to approving a national budget and building the essential agreements for the decisions of the coming months.”