Sebastien Lecornu, appointed by President Emmanuel Macron as France’s fifth prime minister in two years, took office Wednesday amid widespread anti-government protests highlighting the country’s deep political crisis.
Lecornu, a conservative Macron protege who most recently served as his defense minister, arrived midday at the prime minister's residence, where he met with former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who was ousted by parliament Monday over plans to trim the country's outsized deficit.
Lecornu may then use his first speech to lay out how he will seek to reach a consensus with an unruly parliament, split into three distinct ideological blocs and pass a slimmed-down budget for next year.
He has to send a full draft of the 2026 budget to parliament by Oct. 7, although there is some wiggle room until Oct. 13, after which lawmakers will run out of time to pass the budget by year's end.
Reactions to Lecornu's appointment Tuesday underscored the challenge he faces. Parties broadly agree on the need to slash France's deficit, which reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024, but not on how to do it.
