President Emmanuel Macron appointed Armed Services Minister Sébastien Lecornu as France’s new prime minister, less than 24 hours after the National Assembly voted out his predecessor, François Bayrou. The move marks Macron’s third prime ministerial appointment in a year, deepening concerns about France’s democratic direction and highlighting the president’s refusal to return power to the people through new elections.
Lecornu, a longtime Macron loyalist and former member of the center-right Les Républicains, joined Macron’s Renaissance party in 2017. Since then, he has held multiple cabinet roles and is seen as a staunch supporter of the president’s agenda. His appointment follows the collapse of Macron’s previous efforts to govern through consensus, with both Bayrou and Michel Barnier failing to unite the fractured National Assembly.
Macron’s decision to bypass a broader parliamentary negotiation, despite calls from his own party’s leader Gabriel Attal to appoint a neutral mediator, reflects growing executive isolation. Attal had urged Macron to select a figure capable of building consensus amid rising public dissatisfaction and a divided legislature.
The National Assembly remains deadlocked following Macron’s controversial election alliance with the far-left New Popular Front last year, which was designed to block Marine Le Pen’s National Rally from gaining power. That maneuver contributed to the current three-way parliamentary split and has prevented meaningful fiscal reform. France’s budget remains unresolved, and Lecornu now inherits the same gridlock that paralyzed his predecessors.
Marine Le Pen responded to Lecornu’s appointment by calling it the final gasp of “Macronism,” predicting that new elections are inevitable. She asserted that National Rally President Jordan Bardella will soon become the next prime minister. Bardella, 29, criticized the appointment, stating that Macron refuses to change a “losing team” and emphasized the National Rally’s readiness to judge Lecornu by his actions and adherence to the will of the French people.
Le Pen’s movement continues to push for immediate legislative elections to break the impasse. Macron, facing historically low approval ratings, appears unwilling to risk a vote that could hand control of government to his political rivals.
On the left, anger is also growing. Several factions criticized Macron’s appointment of another insider, arguing that the moment called for a prime minister representing broader national interests. Mass protests are already being planned, coinciding with a wave of nationwide labor strikes scheduled for Wednesday. With both populist and leftist opposition rising, Macron’s grip on power looks increasingly fragile.
