Macron names defence minister Sébastien Lecornu as new French PM

Who is Sébastien Lecornu?

Lecornu, 39, has been a Macron loyalist since backing his 2017 presidential run. He most recently served as defence minister, where he oversaw a rise in defence spending and helped shape European thinking on possible security guarantees for Ukraine.

What’s at stake?

Lecornu’s immediate task is to deliver agreement on the 2026 budget, after Macron’s previous prime minister, François Bayrou, was ousted over his plans to rein in debt with sharp spending cuts. France’s deficit now stands at nearly twice the European Union’s limit of 3% of GDP.

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, left, receives President Emmanuel Macron at the 55th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, June 20, 2025. (AP)

Nationwide “Block Everything” protests are planned for Wednesday, highlighting public discontent with the government’s direction.

Political risks

By picking Lecornu, Macron signalled that he will not shift leftward towards the Socialist Party, which has called for reversing some of his flagship reforms such as raising the retirement age and scrapping a wealth tax.

Instead, Macron may need to rely on the far-right National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen. Lecornu has previously met RN leaders in private, and party officials told Reuters they could offer tacit support for him, as long as his government avoids raising taxes.

Lecornu entered politics as a teenager, canvassing for former president Nicolas Sarkozy. At 18, he became mayor of a small town in Normandy, and by 22 he was Sarkozy’s youngest government adviser.

He later broke with the conservatives to join Macron’s centrist movement in 2017 and went on to run Macron’s 2022 re-election campaign.