PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has reappointed Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister, just four days after accepting his resignation, in an attempt to end the country’s ongoing political crisis and restore stability.
In a statement released by the Elysee Palace, Macron confirmed the decision, saying: “The president of the republic has nominated Mr. Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister and has tasked him with forming a government.” The announcement came as Macron’s self-imposed deadline to name a new premier expired on Friday.
Lecornu, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said he accepted the reappointment “out of duty,” stressing that France needed to overcome the political paralysis that had gripped it in recent weeks. “It is my duty to accept the mission entrusted to me by the President to do everything in my power to give France a budget for the end of the year and to respond to the everyday problems of our compatriots,” he wrote. “We need to put an end to this political crisis, which is exasperating the French people, and to this instability, which is bad for France’s image and its interests.”
The move came after days of intense political consultations at the Elysee Palace, where Macron met with mainstream political leaders to find a consensus candidate capable of steering the government through a divided parliament. The French leader has struggled to maintain control since losing his parliamentary majority in 2022, making the passage of major legislation increasingly difficult.
Before Lecornu’s reappointment, Macron was searching for what would have been his sixth prime minister in less than two years. The discussions at the Elysee aimed to find someone with cross-party appeal — from centre-left to centre-right — who could oversee the 2026 budget and calm the political turbulence.
Party leaders from across the political spectrum attended the meeting, but the far-right National Rally (RN) and hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) — two of the largest forces in parliament — were not invited. Their exclusion sparked criticism, particularly from RN President Jordan Bardella, who denounced Lecornu’s reappointment as “a bad joke, a democratic disgrace and a humiliation for the French people.”
Socialist Party lawmaker François Kalfon voiced growing frustration, saying, “Our scepticism grows by the day. We want something concrete on the pension reform. We are not afraid to return to the polls.”
Meanwhile, Yael Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, welcomed the reappointment but urged the government to act swiftly. “For weeks now, the National Assembly has been in full working order, ready to play its role to the full: debating, scrutinising and voting. Now it’s time to get down to work. It’s about time,” she said.
Macron’s decision to bring back Lecornu — considered a loyal ally with experience managing political turbulence — is seen as a bid to project continuity and avoid further instability. However, with France’s parliament still deeply fractured and economic pressures mounting, Lecornu faces a steep challenge in regaining public trust and pushing through Macron’s legislative agenda.
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