French President Emmanuel Macron named Sébastien Lecornu as the country’s new prime minister on Tuesday, September 9, a day after François Bayrou stepped down following a failed confidence vote in the National Assembly.
Lecornu, 39, has been France’s defence minister since Macron’s 2022 re-election and is regarded as one of the president’s close allies. He has held posts in every government since 2017 and previously belonged to the centre-right Les Républicains party.
According to a statement from the Élysée, Macron instructed Lecornu to begin consultations with parliamentary parties to secure support for passing the national budget and to build the political agreements needed for upcoming decisions. The presidency added that once these talks are complete, Lecornu will present a new cabinet lineup for Macron’s approval.
