• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

French PM Appointed: French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu as France's new Prime Minister on Tuesday night. Macron tasked him with immediately trying to get the country's fractious political parties to agree on a budget for one of the world's biggest economies. Lecornu is now France's fourth prime minister in barely a year.

Who Is Sebastien Lecornu?

39-year-old Lecornu, who was the youngest defence minister in French history, is a longtime Macron loyalist. He has been architect of a major military buildup through 2030, spurred by Russia's war in Ukraine. Lecornu, a former conservative had joined Macron's centrist movement in 2017. He has held posts in local governments and overseas territories. He displayed his leadership during Macron's yellow vest “great debate,” when he helped manage mass anger with dialogue. When the yellow vest movement against social injustice erupted, prompting months of sometimes violent demonstrations in the streets, Macron assigned Lecornu to lead the so-called “great debate” across the country, in an attempt to pacify the agitation.

ALSO READ: PM Modi Responds To Trump, Calls India-US Ties 'Natural Partnership' Amid Tariff Talks

During unrest in Guadeloupe in 2021, he managed to deal with the crisis by offering talks on autonomy. Lecornu's rise reflects Macron's instinct to reward loyalty, but also the need for continuity as repeated budget showdowns have toppled his predecessors and left France in drift.

Macron Picks Lecornu In Hardtime

Macron picked his troubleshooter Lecornu in view of massive protest planned Wednesday. The protest movement called 'Block Everything' prompted the government to deploy an exceptional 80,000 police to keep order.

ALSO READ: KP Sharma Oli’s Political Journey:  A Look Back At Nepal PM's Controversies That Led To His Ouster

Legislators toppled Lecornu's predecessor Francois Bayrou and his government in a confidence vote on Monday, a new crisis for Europe's second-largest economy. Bayrou gambled that lawmakers would back his view that France must slash public spending to rein in its huge debts. Instead, they seized on the vote to gang up against the 74-year-old centrist who was appointed by Macron last December.

The demise of Bayrou's short-lived minority government heralds renewed uncertainty and a risk of prolonged legislative deadlock for France as it wrestles with pressing challenges, including budget difficulties and, internationally, wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the shifting priorities of US President Donald Trump.

Drafting a budget will be a top priority for Lecornu, and normally a new prime minister would form the new government before negotiating the national spending in Parliament. However, Macron has asked Lecornu to consult with all of the political parties in Parliament first to try to agree on a budget before assembling his team.

“The prime minister's action will be guided by the defense of our independence and our power, serving the French and the political and institutional stability for the unity of our country,” Macron said in a statement.
(With AP Inputs)