French president appoints Armed Forces Minister Lecornu as new prime minister

Lecornu takes office after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly on Monday.

According to the statement from the Elysee Palace, Lecornu has been tasked with holding consultations with political parties before forming his government.

The objective is to “build the necessary agreements for the decisions of the coming months."

"The prime minister's actions will be guided by the defense of our independence and our power, the service of the French people, and political and institutional stability for the unity of the country," the statement said.

"The president of the republic is convinced that on these bases, an agreement between the political forces is possible while respecting the convictions of each," it added.

Lecournu is the only minister to have served continuously in government since Emmanuel Macron came to power in 2017.

At 39 years old, he has notably held the positions of Secretary of State to the Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Minister Delegate in charge of Local Authorities, and Minister of Overseas Territories, before taking over as Minister of the Armed Forces.

The outgoing premier, who unveiled a 2026 budget framework in July, was seeking support for a plan to save nearly €44 billion ($51 billion) as part of efforts to reduce France’s soaring public debt, now at 113% of its GDP.

However, he received 194 votes in support and 364 votes against, failing to obtain a majority in the parliament, where 15 of the 589 deputies abstained.

France also has one of the EU's largest budget deficits at 5.8%.

Budget negotiations have been a major source of tension in French politics.

The failure to reach an agreement on the 2025 budget last year led to the collapse of the Michel Barnier government in December, after left-wing and far-right parties united behind a no-confidence motion.