Sebastien Lecornu, chosen by President Emmanuel Macron to be France's fifth prime minister in just two years, took office on Wednesday amid widespread anti-government protests that highlighted the country's deepening political crisis.
Lecornu, a conservative ally of Macron who most recently served as defence minister, arrived at the prime minister's residence at midday, where he met with former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who was removed from office on Monday following his plans to reduce France’s large deficit.
In his first address, Lecornu is expected to outline how he intends to work with a fragmented parliament, divided into three ideological blocs, to pass a reduced budget for the coming year. He faces a deadline of October 7 to present a draft of the 2026 budget to parliament, though there is a small extension until October 13 before lawmakers lose the chance to approve it by the end of the year.
Reactions to Lecornu’s appointment on Tuesday made clear the challenges ahead. While there is broad agreement on the need to reduce France’s deficit, which reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024, there is no consensus on how to achieve it.
The far-left has vowed to seek Lecornu’s removal with a no-confidence motion, while the far-right National Rally (RN) has expressed a willingness to collaborate on the budget, provided its demands are met. "His budget will be RN’s, or his government won’t survive," RN lawmaker Laure Lavalette wrote on X.
The RN, the largest parliamentary party in France, is crucial to any potential no-confidence vote. Lecornu, seen as the closest Macron ally to the RN, even dined with RN president Jordan Bardella last year.
In addition to his efforts to unite the political factions, Lecornu faces the challenge of passing a budget that balances the needs of both the Socialists, who want to soften cuts and tax the wealthy, and The Republicans, who staunchly oppose any tax hikes. Macron made an unusual move on Tuesday, calling Socialist leader Olivier Faure to inform him that a leftist would not be appointed as prime minister. Faure, while leaving the door open to cooperation, also warned that he would support a no-confidence motion if the government failed to consider Socialist priorities.
Meanwhile, protests erupted across France as part of the "Block Everything" movement, driven by discontent with Macron’s policies, proposed budget cuts, and the political establishment as a whole. Thousands of people took to the streets, clashing with security forces, disrupting traffic, and setting fire to rubbish bins. Authorities deployed around 80,000 police to manage the unrest.
"Anger has been building for months, even years," said Daniel Bretones, a union member protesting in Marseille. "We’ve had five prime ministers under Macron’s second term, but nothing has changed."
James Van Der Beek, who rose to fame as Dawson Leery in the hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died aged 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorect...
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at The White House on Wednesday without reach...
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Türkiye on Wednesday as part of a large delegation for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan....
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis oversaw the signing of seven cooperation agreements in Ankara on ...
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi became embroiled in a shouting match with Democratic lawmakers during a combative House Judiciary Committee hearing on...
James Van Der Beek, who rose to fame as Dawson Leery in the hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died aged 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at The White House on Wednesday without reaching agreement on how to move forward on Iran.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Türkiye on Wednesday as part of a large delegation for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis oversaw the signing of seven cooperation agreements in Ankara on 11 February 2026, marking a further step in efforts to stabilise and deepen ties between the two NATO allies.
JD Vance arrived in Armenia on Monday (9 February), becoming the first sitting U.S. Vice President to visit the country, as Yerevan and Washington agreed to cooperate in the civil nuclear sector in a bid to deepen engagement in the South Caucasus.
The United States and Azerbaijan signed a strategic partnership in Baku on Tuesday (10 February) encompassing economic and security cooperation as Washington seeks to expand its influence in a region where Russia was once the main power broker.
Buckingham Palace said it is ready to support any police investigation into allegations that Prince Andrew shared confidential British trade documents with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as King Charles expressed “profound concern” over the latest revelations.
U.S. military forces have seized a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon said on Monday.
“Peace is not just about signing treaties - it’s about communication, interaction and integration,” Sultan Zahidov, leading adviser at the AIR Center, told AnewZ, suggesting U.S. Vice President JD Vance's visit to the South Caucasus could advance the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Türkiye on Wednesday as part of a large delegation for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi became embroiled in a shouting match with Democratic lawmakers during a combative House Judiciary Committee hearing on 11 February 2026, after she refused to apologise to Jeffrey Epstein survivors seated in the room.
Russia will continue to adhere to the strategic missile and warhead ceilings set under the now-expired New START agreement, provided the United States does not exceed those thresholds, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics delivered raw emotion, technical brilliance and striking alpine backdrops as athletes battled for medals across northern Italy. Photographers continue capturing the defining moments of the Games, freezing triumph and celebration in images.
China has unveiled a redesigned version of its state-backed digital currency, marking the latest step in the country’s long-running effort to modernise how money moves through its economy.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment