President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister. He has tasked him with trying to find consensus in a divided parliament and pass the 2026 budget, CNN reports, writes UNN.
Details
Earlier on Monday, French Prime Minister François Bayrou resigned, which Macron accepted. He was forced to step down after only nine months in office, as he failed to deliver on a key promise: to push through an unpopular plan to curb France's growing budget deficit.
Before the confidence vote, Bayrou warned lawmakers that his removal would not solve the country's problems.
You have the power to overthrow the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality. Reality will remain relentless: spending will continue to rise, and the burden of debt, already unbearable, will become heavier and more expensive
Now Lecornu faces a dual challenge: extricating France from financial quicksand while leading a government that can expect mass protests. Nationwide demonstrations and highway blockades are planned for Wednesday, and a broader union-led strike will take place on September 18.
Recall
On September 8, the French parliament supported a vote of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister François Bayrou, who had been in office for nine months, by a majority vote.