Sébastien Lecornu appointed French Prime Minister after François Bayrou’s resignation

President Emmanuel Macron appointed Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister on Tuesday, September 9, the Élysée announced in a statement released shortly before 8 p.m.

He succeeds François Bayrou, who submitted the resignation of his government the same day, following a vote in the National Assembly that denied him confidence.

At 39, the new head of government is expected to propose the composition of his cabinet after holding talks with parliamentary parties, the presidency said.

Macron tasked him with “consulting the political forces represented in Parliament with a view to adopting a national budget and forging the necessary agreements for the decisions of the coming months,” the statement read. “Following these discussions, it will be up to the new Prime Minister to propose a government to the President of the Republic,” it added.

This week’s political turmoil highlights the deepening tensions in France, weakening the eurozone’s second-largest economy and pushing it further into debt. Lecornu’s appointment may also signal that Macron is choosing to ignore growing public discontent and demands for change.

A close ally of Emmanuel Macron since 2017, Lecornu has become a key figure within the president’s political circle. Present in every government since Macron’s first election, he narrowly missed out on Matignon last year.

Facing what he describes as “the biggest geopolitical upheaval since the Second World War,” Lecornu benefited from a steadily increasing defense budget, unlike most of his ministerial colleagues. After the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Macron dispatched him on a regional tour to negotiate the release of French hostages held in Gaza and to represent France’s position.

The handover of power between François Bayrou and Sébastien Lecornu will take place on Wednesday at noon at Matignon, the government announced Tuesday evening. The date coincides with a nationwide protest movement calling for the country to be brought to a standstill.

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