French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu finds himself in a terrible position less than 48 hours after being reappointed by President Emmanuel Macron, now racing against time to put together a new cabinet and present a draft for the 2026 budget by Monday. His reappointment comes at a critical juncture as opposition parties promise to topple his government.
Despite resigning just days ago, Lecornu was reinstated by Macron on Friday. The president cited the inability to find a consensus alternative and the urgency of passing the budget through a fractured Parliament as his reason. Lecornu’s first stint lasted only 27 days, making it the shortest in the modern era.
His return is already clouded with political peril. To satisfy constitutional deadlines, Lecornu must present the draft budget first to the cabinet and then to the National Assembly on Monday. That makes the naming of key ministers for finance, budget, and social security essential, and urgent. Meanwhile, leftist, hard-left, and far-right parties have already pledged to bring him down by no-confidence vote.
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Lecornu’s interim manifesto already shows his priorities. He has said that whoever joins his cabinet must relinquish ambitions for the 2027 presidential race — a response to a political climate destabilised by rivalries. He also vowed a cabinet rooted in “renewal and diversity.” Though he hasn’t gone into the details, he reaffirmed his intention to reduce the budget deficit to between 4.7 % and 5 % of GDP — a looser target than the 4.6 % previously sought.
Macron’s decision to reappoint Lecornu, just after his resignation has sparked sharp criticism across the political spectrum of the country. Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally, denounced it as a “bad joke” and promised swift censure in Parliament. Other parties, including the Socialists, have remained cautious, as they are sceptical about openly supporting a government they doubt can survive.
France’s current turmoil stems from the legislative elections of mid-2024, which left the National Assembly split among three blocs: the left alliance, Macron’s centrists, and the far right. No coalition commands a majority. Macron has already seen two prime ministers (Michel Barnier, François Bayrou) collapse over budget battles.
Lecornu’s first government crumbled within hours of its unveiling, after he tried to rehash a cabinet too similar to his predecessor’s. Now, during his second attempt, he will be expected to be more tactical in his approach.
If Lecornu fails to present a viable budget or survive a confidence vote, Macron could have little choice but to dissolve Parliament and call snap legislative elections.
