President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister of France, following the recent ousting of François Bayrou in a confidence vote. Lecornu, 39, has served as the Minister of Armed Forces for the past three years, where he focused on France’s military response to the conflict in Ukraine.
The Elysée Palace announced that Lecornu’s immediate task will be to engage with various political parties to prepare France’s next budget. Bayrou had submitted his resignation just hours prior, paving the way for Lecornu to assume this role, marking him as the fifth prime minister during Macron’s second term.
Lecornu faces several significant challenges, particularly the need to secure a budget that includes cutbacks, amid a national public debt that has reached €3.3 trillion, approximately 114% of France’s GDP. Bayrou had proposed €44 billion in budget cuts, but his confidence vote was unsuccessful, leading to his government being dismissed by the National Assembly with a vote of 364 to 194.
Responses to Lecornu’s appointment have been mixed. Critics from both the left and right parties have expressed dissent. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical left party France Unbowed, suggested that Lecornu’s appointment signals a lack of change within the government. Marine Le Pen from the far-right remarked on the decision as a final effort from what she called “Macronism.”
Conversely, some centrist figures, including former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, view Lecornu positively, noting his experience as a defense minister could be beneficial during challenging negotiations. Marc Fesneau, a member of Bayrou’s MoDem party, urged all political factions to seek compromise for the country’s stability, especially regarding its budget.
Upcoming assessments from credit agency Fitch on France’s debt could impact borrowing costs if the country’s rating is lowered from AA-. Furthermore, the grassroots movement “Bloquons Tout” (Let’s Block Everything) has called for protests, prompting authorities to mobilize 80,000 police officers for security.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmenp1k0mjo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss