France names new government following budget fiasco
New French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu unveiled his cabinet on Sunday, tasking it with passing the budget in a deeply divided parliament and managing multiple crises abroad.
Lecornu, a former defense minister and close ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, was appointed in September after his predecessor, Francois Bayrou, lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly during a bid to secure support for an austerity plan aimed at curbing rising debt. Lecornu is the seventh prime minister to serve under Macron.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will keep his post. Under his tenure, France has continued to support Ukraine and recently formally recognized Palestinian statehood in an effort to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza.
Former Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire will take over as defense chief, as Macron seeks to strengthen the military and increase aid to Kiev. The president has also committed to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine and said he would consider expanding France’s nuclear umbrella to cover other European countries.
Economist and banker Roland Lescure will serve as finance minister, while former prime minister Elisabeth Borne will head the Education Ministry.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin – both known for their hardline stances on immigration and security – will remain in their posts. Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who faces a corruption trial next year, will also keep her job.
Lecornu said the ministers “will need to find compromises with the opposition” to pass a budget before the end of the year, and promised not to invoke the controversial Article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows the government to push legislation through parliament without a vote.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the conservative National Rally party in parliament, denounced the new cabinet as “pathetic,” while Jean-Luc Melenchon, founder of the left-wing France Unbowed, described it as “a procession of returnees.” Several left-wing parties have already threatened to submit a no-confidence motion against Lecornu next week.
