The political crisis in France quickly proceeds: President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister François Bayrou in the early afternoon today, resigned after the clear defeat recorded yesterday at the National Assembly on the vote of trust. Last night the Eliseo had made it known that Macron would not wait much to appoint a successor. 24 hours after Bayrou’s resignation, the French president has chosen Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of Defense, 39 years old, one of his loyal, as a new premier. He is the fifth prime minister since the beginning of Macron’s second mandate in 2022.
The French government falls: Bayrou does not exceed the vote of trust
Unlike what happened in 2024 for Attal, Barnier and Bayrou, this time Macron has not started “formal consultations”, to shorten the times. According to sources of the iso, Lecornu is in charge of “consulting” the parties in order to “build the essential agreements for the decisions of the next few months”. Probably the Prime Minister will have the first task negotiating a minimum program, which includes a draft budget for 2026, absolute priority. “He entrusted him with the task of consulting the political forces represented in Parliament in order to adopt a budget for the nation and build the indispensable agreements for the decisions of the next few months,” indicated the French presidency. “Following these discussions, it will be up to the new Prime Minister to propose a government to the President of the Republic,” added the Elisha.
Who is Sébastien Lecornu, the favorite by Macron
The indiscretions of political commentators gave him ahead. A few hours later the confirmation came: Sébastien Lecornu is the new French premier. Faithful Macron, the Minister of the Armed Forces, 39, was already in the name of the names last December, before Bayrou imposed himself on him for Matignon. His appointment as Prime Minister would crown a lightning ascent, similar to that of Gabriel Attal. Perfectly aligned with the president in terms of economic policy and enjoying his trust, he could stand out if the latter decides to take sides on his side.
Macron was in a hurry to appoint a new head of the executive. The spectrum of a fitch judgment approaches Paris that could cut the France rating on Friday, aggravating the tension of the financial markets. Hence the urgency to urgently entrust an exploratory mandate in a short time.
The mass protests “We block everything”
However, a choice is hardly quick to help Macron returns the political crisis and the distrust of the French. The country is preparing for a new wave of popular discontent that tomorrow should lead to several strikes and demonstrations against the government, while a further union mobilization is expected for September 18. The French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, in the previous hours had declared that the country “needs a very quickly of a prime minister” in front of “the risk of unrest” in the events scheduled in September, starting with that of the “we block” movement scheduled for tomorrow. Retailleau, who is also president of the Républicains, believes “urgent” the appointment of a premier since “there must be a vacant power” on the eve of the manifestation and in front “at a month of September propitious to any type of disorder”.
