Emmanuel Macron Appoints Sebastien Lecornu As New PM, Replacing Francois Bayrou

Last Updated:September 10, 2025, 06:45 IST

Bayrou was dismissed after losing a confidence vote in parliament on Monday.

Lecornu had already been considered a leading candidate for the role last year (AP Photo)

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister, replacing Francois Bayrou, who lasted just nine months in office, AFP reported on Tuesday.

Bayrou was dismissed after losing a confidence vote in parliament on Monday. He had been appointed less than a year ago, following the departure of conservative politician and former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

In a statement, the Élysée Palace said Macron has instructed Lecornu to “consult the political forces represented in parliament with a view to adopting a national budget and forging the agreements essential for decisions in the coming months."

According to Euronews, Lecornu had already been considered a leading candidate for the role last year.

At 39, Lecornu served as France’s youngest defence minister and was instrumental in leading a long-term military expansion plan set to run through 2030, largely in response to the war in Ukraine. A close ally of Macron, he has been part of the president’s centrist movement since 2017. He will now become France’s fifth prime minister in just two years, according to The Japan Times.

Macron has tasked Lecornu with initiating cross-party talks to secure support for a new national budget. Once those consultations are complete, Lecornu is expected to propose the formation of a new government. Until then, the current Cabinet will remain in office in a caretaker role.

Notably, Lecornu is the only minister to have served continuously in government since Macron first took office in 2017. One of Lecornu’s first major tests will be the 2026 national budget. To avoid suffering the same fate as his predecessors, he will need to revise France’s fiscal strategy in a way that secures at least tacit backing from some of Macron’s political opponents.

Though Lecornu is known to have cordial ties with certain figures on the French far right, including Marine Le Pen, leaders of the Rally have yet to indicate whether they will support his appointment as prime minister.

News world Emmanuel Macron Appoints Sebastien Lecornu As New PM, Replacing Francois Bayrou

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