France Appoints New Government Amid Political Turmoil
In an attempt to end the current political crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the formation of a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Sunday, October 5th. This comes nearly a month after Lecornu's appointment, who is the seventh PM to serve under Macron's presidency. However, the new government is already facing threats of collapse and criticism for its perceived continuation of Macron’s past policies12.
Background
Lecornu was appointed after his predecessor, François Bayrou, lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly during a bid to secure support for an austerity plan aimed at curbing rising debt3. Lecornu's government consists of 18 ministers4, including thirteen resigning ministers who were reappointed1. This move has been dubbed by critics as an unwelcome continuity and another risk of government collapse5.
Key Developments
Bruno Le Maire, the former finance minister, has been appointed as defense minister6. Roland Lescure, Macron's deputy and former minister of industry, replaces Eric Lombard at Bercy7. Lescure has been tasked with getting the 2026 budget adopted by Parliament despite expected opposition from the far-right and a large part of the left7.
Jean-Noel Barrot will continue to serve as Foreign Minister3, and Gérald Darmanin has been confirmed at Justice8. New Minister of Urban Planning, Decentralization, and Housing, Eric Woerth, has been tasked with preparing a report on a reform of decentralization9.
Implications and Reactions
The composition of the new government has drawn criticism from opponents and risks another collapse. Most senior members from Bayrou's cabinet were renamed to their posts, a decision that has increased the distrust of the opposition2. The hard-left party has vowed to file a no-confidence motion amid fraught budget talks10.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has admitted that the ministers will have to find compromises with the opposition3. The first cabinet meeting will be held on Monday afternoon, and the first Council of Ministers is scheduled for Tuesday114.
Current Status
Despite the criticism, the newly appointed government is tasked with managing multiple crises, both domestically and abroad. The government is expected to deliver a speech on general politics on Tuesday11 and will have to pass the budget in a deeply divided parliament3.
With a deeply divided parliament and the opposition ready to challenge the government, the future of this new cabinet remains uncertain. As the Lecornu government starts its work under these challenging circumstances, all eyes will be on how this team manages to navigate the political turmoil.