French President Macron designates Defense Minister Lecornu as the new Prime Minister - French President Macron tabs Defense Minister Lecornu for Prime Minister role.
In a significant move, President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister of France. Lecornu, a prominent figure from the conservative side, takes over following the failure of a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, which brought down the minority government led by François Bayrou after less than nine months in office.
France finds itself in a precarious position, with the third-highest debt ratio in the EU, at 114 percent, trailing only Greece and Italy. The country's state spending is among the highest in Europe, and in absolute terms, France has the highest debt pile in the eurozone, at around 3,300 billion euros. The EU has opened a deficit procedure against France since July 2024.
Lecornu, currently the Minister of Defense, is expected to propose his government team after his appointment. His actions will be guided by the defense of France's independence and strength. The new government will need to navigate this political situation carefully, as the previous government, led by Édouard Philippe, relied on the far-right and failed, while François Bayrou was only tolerated by the socialists but then lost their support.
The political landscape in the National Assembly is deeply divided, with three major blocs: Macron's centrists, Le Pen's far-right, and the left. Lecornu is said to have a certain rapport with and respect from the far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Cross-party coalitions are unusual in France, and a confrontational course is often taken in parliament.
The far-right has demanded that Macron dissolve parliament to make way for new elections, and the far-left LFI wanted to remove him. However, Lecornu is considered a close ally of President Macron. He is expected to consult with political forces in the National Assembly to establish the urgently needed budget and make agreements for decisions of the coming months.
Sébastien Lecornu is a member of the political party "Républicains" (The Republicans), and the majority of his supporters belong to this party. However, he does not have a stable parliamentary majority, adding another layer of complexity to his task.
The appointment of Lecornu as Prime Minister is an attempt to contain the budget crisis and the renewed political crisis, as well as to remove Macron from the line of fire due to the pressure he faced following two failed prime ministers in one year. As France navigates these challenging times, the nation awaits the new government's proposals with bated breath.
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