Sebastien Lecornu, chosen by President Emmanuel Macron to be France’s prime minister, took office amidst significant anti-government protests, highlighting a political crisis in the country.
Lecornu, a conservative and former defense minister, met with ousted Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on his first day. In his upcoming speech, he may discuss plans to reach an agreement with a fragmented parliament to pass a reduced budget for next year. He must submit a draft of the 2026 budget by October 7, with a slight extension until October 13.
Although there is general agreement on reducing France’s deficit, which stands at 5.8% of GDP, political parties disagree on methods. The hard-left plans to challenge Lecornu with a no-confidence vote, while the far-right National Rally is open to cooperation if their budget demands are met. Lecornu is seen as having a closer relationship with the RN than others in Macron’s circle.
‘BLOCK EVERYTHING’ PROTESTS
Lecornu needs to unite the Socialists, who want to reduce budget cuts and tax the rich, with his former party The Republicans, who oppose tax increases. Macron called Socialist leader Olivier Faure to inform him that a leftist would not be made prime minister.
Faure showed some willingness to work with Lecornu but mentioned he might support a no-confidence measure if the government’s budget priorities are ignored. Meanwhile, thousands protested in France against proposed budget cuts and the political class. Authorities deployed around 80,000 police to manage the protests, which included disruptions and clashes.
With information from Reuters
