Macron names Sébastien Lecornu as new French Prime Minister after Bayrou ousted in confidence vote

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday appointed Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu as the country’s new prime minister, after François Bayrou’s government collapsed in a confidence vote over the controversial 2026 budget.

Lecornu, 39, becomes France’s fourth prime minister in less than a year. A former conservative prodigy who threw his support behind Macron’s 2017 presidential bid, Lecornu is considered a loyal ally of the president and a steady hand in defense and security matters.

Bayrou, who had only been in office since late 2024 after replacing Michel Barnier, failed to secure parliamentary backing for his fiscal package, which aimed to rein in France’s widening deficit. The rejection underscored deepening tensions over the country’s fragile public finances. France’s budget deficit hit 5.8% of GDP last year, nearly double the EU’s 3% limit, while public debt climbed past €3.3 trillion – about 114% of GDP.

Announcing his appointment on X (formerly Twitter), Lecornu pledged to form a government with “a clear direction.”

“The President of the Republic has entrusted me with the task of building a government with a clear direction: the defense of our independence and our power, the service of the French people, and political and institutional stability for the unity of the country,” he wrote.

He also thanked Macron for his trust and paid tribute to his predecessor: “I salute François Bayrou for the courage he demonstrated in defending his convictions to the very end.”