French President Emmanuel Macron selected his loyal defense minister, Sébastien Lecornu, as the nation’s prime minister.
Lecornu, 39, was appointed just over a day after his predecessor, François Bayrou, was ousted in an overwhelming 364-194 vote against him on Monday, after just nine months in office. Lecornu is Macron’s fifth prime minister since he began his second term in 2022 and the fourth in a one-year span — a record for the Fifth French Republic.
Lecornu is notable as the youngest defense minister in French history, taking the spot during a pivotal time. He has led Macron’s vision for European rearmament in response to the war in Ukraine, drawing up plans for a major military buildup of the French armed forces through 2030.
The appointment of Lecornu, from Macron’s centrist Renaissance party, drew praise from some in the center and on the Right who feared the appointment of a Socialist Party prime minister.
“I am happy that the president has not chosen a Socialist prime minister. … I believe that in order to break the deadlock, we need to build a project that satisfies the national majority … we need more security, less immigration, there is consensus about that among a large part of the French population,” said Bruno Retailleau, interior minister in Bayrou’s outgoing government, according to France 24. “Many people also believe that the state needs to tighten its belt.”
Michel Barnier, Bayrou’s immediate predecessor, said the appointment was “sensible … given the international context.”
The Left, meanwhile, was incensed, with many calling for Macron himself to resign.
“With the appointment of Sebastien Lecornu to Matignon, Emmanuel Macron is stubbornly pursuing a path that no socialist will participate in,” Socialist Party head Olivier Faure said. “Without social, fiscal, and ecological justice, without measures to boost purchasing power, the same causes will produce the same effects.”
Jean-Luc Mélechon, the chairman of France’s left-wing France Unbowed party, said the appointment would mean more of the same.
“Only Macron’s departure can put an end to this sad comedy of contempt for Parliament, voters, and political decency,” he said.
France’s Right was equally upset with the pick, portraying the move as Macronism’s last gasp.
“Emmanuel Macron’s motto: you don’t change a losing team,” National Rally party head Jordan Bardella said. “How could a loyal supporter of the president break with the policy he has been pursuing for eight years? We will judge the new Prime Minister – without illusions — on his actions, his decisions, and his plans for France’s budget, and we will do so in light of our red lines.”
Former National Rally leader Marine Le Pen drew a darker parallel.
“The president is firing the last shot of Macronism, holed up in his bunker with his small group of loyalists,” she said, according to France 24. “After the inevitable future legislative elections, the Prime Minister will be Jordan Bardella.”
Bayrou was ousted after calling for government spending cuts in response to a spiraling debt crisis, which had risen to 114% of France’s gross domestic product. Debt spending now accounts for 7% of the state budget.
In his last speech before Parliament ousted him, Bayrou pleaded with lawmakers to come to terms with the crisis.
“You have the power to overthrow the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality,” he said. “Reality will remain inexorable. Spending will continue to increase, and the debt burden, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly.”
Bayrou began to speak more bluntly as it became apparent his confidence vote wouldn’t go in his favor, deriding the older generations for approving of a situation in which the younger generations would have to pay for them.
FRANCE’S PRIME MINISTER LOSES CONFIDENCE VOTE, TOPPLING HIS GOVERNMENT
“We are in the process of accepting that the youngest are reduced to slavery by forcing them for decades to repay the loans of previous generations,” he said.
Macron moved quickly to replace Bayrou, in part so he would have a prime minister when anticipated nationwide protests hit the country on Wednesday. The “Bloquons Tout,” or “Block Everything,” movement was spread online by left-wing agitators to protest the austerity proposals of the government. The movement is encouraging a nationwide strike, blockades, and massive acts of sabotage.