the French presidency announced the appointment of Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu—an ally of President Emmanuel Macron—as Prime Minister, following the resignation of François Bayrou after a vote of no confidence in his government in the National Assembly.
The presidency stated that President Macron initially tasked Lecornu with consulting political parties to reach “the necessary agreements for decisions to be made in the coming months” before forming a new government.
With this appointment, Lecornu becomes Bayrou’s successor and the fifth prime minister since the start of Macron’s second presidential term in 2022—and the third within a single year—an unprecedented situation under the Fifth Republic, established in 1958 and long known for its political stability.
Macron announced the new prime minister before departing for New York, where he is expected to declare France’s recognition of the State of Palestine at the United Nations on September 22 and 23.
French political parties remain firm in their positions after lawmakers rejected the budget proposal of former Prime Minister François Bayrou, which aimed to save €44 billion to reduce the massive public debt, currently at 114% of the country’s GDP.