France’s reappointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has announced a new Cabinet of 34 ministers, tasked with producing a national budget before the end of the year amid mounting political and economic pressures.
The Cabinet, slightly smaller than the previous 36-member government under former Prime Minister François Bayrou, includes a mix of experienced officials, centrist allies of President Emmanuel Macron, conservatives, and some figures from outside the political sphere.
Key appointments include Laurent Nunez as interior minister, overseeing national security; Catherine Vautrin as defence minister, responsible for military support for Ukraine and European security; and Roland Lescure as finance minister, charged with tackling rising debt and poverty. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, and Culture Minister Rachida Dati retain their positions.
Lecornu, 39, is Macron’s fourth prime minister in a year and a close ally of the president. He faces an immediate challenge: securing parliamentary support in a deeply fractured National Assembly, where centrist, far-right, and far-left factions hold significant influence. Opposition parties, including Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed, are pressing for new elections or Macron’s resignation, while key conservative allies have expressed discontent, expelling six party members who joined the Cabinet.
The new government follows a period of intense political uncertainty. Lecornu initially formed a Cabinet last week but resigned hours later after a coalition protest, before being reappointed by Macron. He has acknowledged the difficulties of governing a country divided over pension reforms and other contentious policies.
President Macron’s controversial pension reform, which gradually raises the retirement age from 62 to 64, remains a flashpoint. Opposition parties are demanding its repeal, adding to the pressure on Lecornu’s new Cabinet.
The government’s first Cabinet meeting is expected on Tuesday. Barrot will accompany Macron to Egypt on Monday for an international ceremony marking the Gaza ceasefire, signalling France’s continued engagement in global affairs despite domestic instability.
With an urgent budget to deliver and deep political divisions to navigate, Lecornu’s new government faces a critical test in maintaining stability and reassuring businesses, investors, and international partners.
Bella Culley, a pregnant British teenager jailed in Georgia for smuggling marijuana and hashish from Thailand, was freed on Monday (November 3) under ...
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin reaffirmed the strength of bilateral relations during the 30th regular meeting b...
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that Tehran will not cooperate with Washington as it continues to support Israel, maintain military bases and interfere in...
A conference marking the 80th anniversary of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences was held on 3 November, where President Ilham Aliyev highligh...
A 32-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a stabbing on a U.K. train injured 11 people, including a railway worker now in critica...
Bella Culley, a pregnant British teenager jailed in Georgia for smuggling marijuana and hashish from Thailand, was freed on Monday (November 3) under a plea agreement.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin reaffirmed the strength of bilateral relations during the 30th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government, held on Monday in Hangzhou, eastern China’s Zhejiang Province.
New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November 2025 has become one of the most closely watched local races in the United States.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that Tehran will not cooperate with Washington as it continues to support Israel, maintain military bases and interfere in the Middle East Region.
Ukraine’s top military commander has confirmed that troops are facing “difficult conditions” defending the strategic eastern town of Pokrovsk against a multi-thousand Russian force.
Russia has launched its new nuclear-powered submarine, the Khabarovsk, at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, the Defence Ministry said Saturday.
Armenia will offer Azerbaijani as an optional subject for 10-12th grade students in three schools from the 2025/2026 academic year as part of a state programme to develop foreign and regional languages.
A man and a woman were killed and several others injured in a shooting on the Greek island of Crete on Saturday, in what police officials described as a family vendetta, reviving memories of the island’s long and complex history of inter-family violence.
Two men accused of stealing €88 million worth of jewels from Paris’ Louvre Museum have been charged and remanded in custody, as investigators continue to search for the missing treasures.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin reaffirmed the strength of bilateral relations during the 30th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government, held on Monday in Hangzhou, eastern China’s Zhejiang Province.
A 32-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a stabbing on a U.K. train injured 11 people, including a railway worker now in critical condition.
Ukraine’s military said on Monday it struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region overnight, causing a fire at one of the refining units, and separately targeted Russian logistical sites in the occupied Luhansk region.
An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 struck the south-east coast of Russia's Kamchatka region on Monday (3 November), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Carlos Mazon, the leader of Spain's eastern Valencia region, said on Monday he was stepping down over his administration's handling of catastrophic floods that swept over the region a year ago.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment