Background of New Prime Minister Appointment On September 9, President Emmanuel Macron appointed Sébastien Lecornu (39 years old) as the new Prime Minister. This followed the rejection of a confidence motion in the National Assembly the previous day, which led to the resignation of former Prime Minister François Bayrou.
Lecornu's Background and Credentials In terms of political career, Lecornu belongs to the president's supporting party "Renaissance" and has served in various roles including Minister of the Armed Forces under the Macron administration. He is known as a close ally of President Macron.
Regarding his track record, he successfully passed the military budget bill in parliament in 2023, which included a significant increase in defense spending. His ability to achieve consensus-building within a divided parliament has been highly praised.
Presidential Instructions and Policy Direction President Macron has instructed Prime Minister Lecornu to negotiate with various political parties to reach agreements on important policies such as the 2026 budget proposal. Based on the consultation results, Lecornu is expected to propose new cabinet appointments to the president.
As guiding principles, the president outlined "maintaining national independence and strength," "serving the people," and "political and institutional stability" for the Prime Minister.
Strong Opposition from Opposition Parties Marine Le Pen of the far-right "National Rally (RN)" criticized on X (formerly Twitter), stating "President Macron has played his final card of Macronism." She suggested the possibility of a change of government, saying "General elections are inevitable, and when that happens, RN leader Jordan Bardella will become Prime Minister."
Olivier Faure, Secretary General of the moderate left "Socialist Party," declared "we will not participate in any political direction promoted by President Macron," formally refusing to join the new government. He clearly showed his opposition stance, stating "Depending on the government's response, we may submit a motion of no confidence and move toward parliamentary dissolution."