Lecornu Names New French Government Following Reappointment

PARIS — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unveiled his new government on Sunday night, just two days after his reappointment as head of government. The cabinet comprises both civil servants and politicians, including several who were part of Lecornu’s initial attempt to form a government last week. Frustration over the composition of his first government led the 39-year-old PM to submit his resignation after only 14 hours, plunging France into a political crisis.

Among those retained in their positions are Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, Budget Minister Amélie de Montchalin, and Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot—all centrists who have held their posts since earlier this year. Roland Lescure, a Macron ally who was appointed economy and finance minister in Lecornu’s aborted government, will also remain in his role.

Lescure faces the challenging task of passing next year’s budget while addressing France’s substantial public spending deficit, which has raised concerns among financial markets and international institutions. Lecornu is expected to present his budget plans for the upcoming year on Monday and outline his policy priorities in a speech before the French parliament in the coming days.

Catherine Vautrin, a conservative who previously served as health and labor minister under former Prime Minister François Bayrou, has been appointed as the new armed forces minister. Conservatives Annie Genevard and Rachida Dati—who is running for Paris mayor next year—will continue as ministers of agriculture and culture, respectively. Their inclusion in the government means that all three can no longer claim membership in the conservative Les Républicains party, which stated in a release on Sunday that its leadership had voted against participating in the new French government.

Laurent Nuñez, the chief of Paris Police, will serve as the interior minister, a position formerly held by conservative leader Bruno Retailleau, who is not included in the new government. Jean-Pierre Farandou, the former head of France’s state-owned railway company SNCF, has been appointed as labor minister.

“A mission-driven government has been established to draft a budget for France by the end of the year. I would like to express my gratitude to the women and men who have committed themselves to this government, prioritizing the interests of the country over personal and partisan interests,” Lecornu stated in a post on X. “Only one thing matters: the interests of the nation.”

The longevity of this government remains uncertain. The far-right National Rally and the far-left France Unbowed have already indicated their intention to vote against the government, together controlling more than a third of the seats in the French National Assembly, the more powerful lower house of parliament. The Socialist Party, whose tacit support will be crucial for Lecornu’s government to survive, has indicated that it will decide whether to support or oppose the new government based on Lecornu’s concrete proposals, particularly regarding a potential suspension of the controversial pension reforms enacted by Macron.