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Sebastien Lecornu

French President Emmanuel Macron on 09 September 2025 chose Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu as the country's new prime minister. Lecornu, 39, faced an uphill battle over budget as protests loom in the coming days. The fifth prime minister in less than two years, Lecornu had major challenges ahead, including resolving a deepening political crisis as protests loom in the coming days. Thibault Muzergues, Political Director at Shared Ground think tank, says that it will be surprising that the new Prime Minister will survive more than a year.

Never before had a prime minister been overthrown by the deputies by himself requesting the confidence of the Assembly, and engaging the responsibility of his government in application of article 49.1 of the Constitution. François Bayrou submitted his resignation to Emmanuel Macron after the Prime Minister failed to obtain the confidence of MPs, a vote he himself requested on his proposed budget for 2026. The appointment pof Lecornu, hours after the resignation of Francois Bayrou signaled Macron's intent to maintain a minority government. French lawmakers are divided between three blocs: the center (Macron’s legislative bases), the left-wing group dominated by the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) group, and the far-right bloc, hoping to take power from Macron. He will be responsible for "consulting" the parties with a view to "building the agreements essential to the decisions of the coming months," according to the Élysée.

In a political and social climate more unstable than ever, no member of the Socialist Party or the Greens signed the motion of impeachment leading to the dismissal of the President of the Republic. The National Rally was eager to obtain at least a dissolution of the Natiolnal Seembly and new legislative elections. The Socialists are not earger for fresh elections, saying they are "ready" to govern in harmony with the head of state, on the basis of a counter-budget providing for 27 billion in new savings - almost half as much as François Bayrou's 44 billion.

The transfer of power between François Bayrou and the new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu would take place on 10 Septembe 2025 at noon at Matignon, government services announced. The date coincides with a day of mobilization to block the country, initiated by various movements. Marine Tondelier was already protesting against the appointment of a prime minister "without having consulted the political parties of the force that came out on top in the last legislative elections. " "The answer" will come "tomorrow" in "the street," warns the leader of the Ecologists.

In his editorial, Vincent Trémolet de Villers, deputy editor of Le Figaro, discusses the appointment of Sébastien Lecornu to Matignon. "Media-wise discreet, the former Minister of Defense enjoys the sincere esteem of the military, who recognize his in-depth knowledge of the issues, but also of the history, geography, wit, and solemn and melodious traditions of the French army ," he analyzes. He added: "Flexible and agile, the new prime minister was reminiscent of the RPR of yesterday's world. The eternal profile of the charming and cunning politician, he can play half-time on either side but always finishes the match with the winning team."

With the appointment of Sébastien Lecornu to Matignon, Emmanuel Macron "takes the risk of legitimate social anger and institutional blockage in the country", denounced Olivier Faure's Socialist Party [PS] in a press release, which "takes note" of this choice. "Emmanuel Macron was therefore persisting in a path in which no socialist will participate. The one that has led to failure and disorder and which aggravates the crisis, mistrust and instability ," adds the Socialist Party, which believes that "without social, fiscal and ecological justice, without measures for purchasing power, the same causes will provoke the same effects."

The president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, following in the footsteps of Marine Le Pen , criticized the choice of Emmanuel Macron, wondering how a "loyal supporter of the President" , Sébastien Lecornu, "could break with the policy he has been pursuing for eight years" . "Our principles do not vary. (...) It is not a question of person or casting, but of policy pursued: we will judge - without illusion - the new Prime Minister on the facts, on his actions, on his orientations to give a budget to France, and this in the light of our red lines" , added the president of the National Rally. Marine Le Pen believes that Emmanuel Macron was "firing the last shot at Macronism." According to the leader of the National Rally, the president was "bunkered down with his small circle of loyalists." "After the inevitable future legislative elections, the prime minister will be called Jordan Bardella ," she suggests.

Édouard Philippe on TF1 said "Sébastien Lecornu seems to me to have the qualities to try to bring to the table people who will not do exactly what they want, but who will be able to agree to prevent France from getting worse," declared the former Prime Minister, calling on the parties to "compromise" and saying he was "ready" to do so, "with some limits ," judging in particular that "the budget of the Armed Forces must be preserved, the budget of the Police, the budget of Justice, without doubt."

Lecornu was a right-wing politician, a figure in what the French call “Social Gaullism” - conservative politicians who aren’t afraid to hike taxes, unlike Macron’s focus on pro-business policies. “The President of the Republic has entrusted me with the task of building a government with a clear direction: the defence of our independence and power, the service of the French people, and political and institutional stability for the unity of the country,” the incoming prime minister said.

The immediate reason for Bayrou’s fall was his budget proposal for next year. His unpopular 44-billion-euro ($51bn) deficit-reduction plan, including freezing most welfare spending and scrapping two public holidays, has been widely rejected by parliamentarians. The French budget deficit was now nearly 169 billion euros ($198bn), or 5.8 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), well above the 3 percent limit set by the European Union for countries using the euro. Investors worry that France’s persistent deficits will cause ever-higher debt ratios and undermine its credit score.

The National Assembly on 08 September 2025 voted to remove Bayrou over his proposed $51bn in budget cuts to address the country’s debt crisis. Macron’s decision to choose Lecornu, analysts said, was an indication that he intends to continue on with a minority government that supports his pro-business economic reform agenda. In the 577-member National Assembly, the left bloc, which has opposed Macron’s pro-business policy, had the most seats but not enough to form a government.

The 39-year-old Lecornu was in the running for the job back in December 2024 before Macron opted for the supposedly steady experience of the older Bayrou. Once a member of the center-right Republicans, Lecornu joined Macron's centrist movement in 2017 and led the president's re-election campaign in 2022. Macron has directed Lecornu "to consult the political forces represented in parliament with a view to adopting a budget for the nation and making the agreements essential for the decisions of the coming months," the Elysee announced.

Son of a medical secretary and a technician in the aeronautics industry, Sébastien Lecornu studied law at Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University. At 19, Lecornu started his political career as France's youngest parliamentary assistant. Originally a member of the conservative Les Républicains party, he has worked to gain respect from across the political center and right — from securing the trust of both Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron to hosting somewhat controversial dinners with far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

From 2008 to 2012, he was an advisor to the Junior Minister for European Affairs, then to the Minister for Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire. In 2014, he was elected mayor of Vernon, then President of the Departmental Council of Eure (2015). He was re-elected at the municipal elections in March 2020, Departmental Advisor in June 2021, and once again appointed as President of the Departmental Council of Eure in July 2021.

Elected Senator in September 2020, Sébastien Lecornu decided not to sit on the Senate to comply with the law on the non-accumulation of mandates, and to continue to carry out his ministerial duties.

On 21 June 2017, Sébastien Lecornu was appointed Junior Minister to the Minister of State for Ecological Transition and Solidarity in the government of Édouard Philippe. In 2018, he was appointed Minister Delegate in charge of Territorial Communities. He then co-leads the Great National Debate, which was held at the initiative of the President of the Republic early 2019 in response to the social crisis in autumn 2018. In July 2020, he was appointed Minister for the Overseas Territories in the government of Jean Castex. In this role, he oversaw the management of the health crisis in the 12 French overseas territories spread across the three oceans. He also accompanies the end of the Noumea Accord by organising the last two consultations for New Caledonia’s accession to full sovereignty.

Since 20 May 2022, he was Minister for the Armed Forces. At the age of 35, he became France’s youngest defense minister in living memory. Lecornu was also Reserve Colonel in the National Gendarmerie. As defense minister, he enjoyed a booming budget, and a mission – warding off Russian aggression – that few could challenge. He was the longest serving sitting minister, enjoying rare stability within the French government, A politician to his fingertips, a passionate Minister of the Armed Forces, Gaullist Sébastien Lecornu was little known to the general public.

A deeply loyal, if discreet, ally of President Emmanuel Macron, Lecornu was known for stability and a measured leadership style. He has also denied he's eyeing up the premiership. He was not what was known in France as "presidentiable", namely someone who harbors ambitions of winning the Elysee Palace for themselves. The President had already said that he does not want a presidential candidate at Matignon Lecornu was a loyal soldier who doesn't have too much charisma or presidential potential. A jovial character behind the scenes, he was known to get along with the press and has won the support of the French military community.

Decorations

• Knight of Agricultural Merit
• Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters as President of the Museum of the impressionisms in Giverny
• National Defence Medal, national gendarmerie clasp bronze level (2015)
• Silver Medal of Voluntary Military Services (awarded exceptionally in 2017)
• Gold Medal of Honour for Overseas Commitment in France
• Grand Officer of the National Order of the Cedar of Lebanon
• Commander of the Order of the Lion (Senegal)
• Commander of the Order of the Star of Moheli (Comores)
• First Class Order of Zayed II (United Arab Emirates)
• Medal of the Order of Merit 2nd class (Ukraine)
• Knight of the Order of Saint Charles (Monaco)
• Commander first Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star (Sweden)
• Grand Commander‘s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Commander first class of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark)