<a title="France" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/india/india-france-review-india-eu-free-trade-talks/12907" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French</a> President Emmanuel Macron has appointed S&eacute;bastien Lecornu as Prime Minister, following the ousting of Fran&ccedil;ois Bayrou, who lost a critical confidence vote in parliament on Monday.
The move signals Macron&rsquo;s intent to maintain his pro-business reform agenda, despite mounting pressure from both the far left and far right. Lecornu, 39, a close ally of the president and once a conservative prot&eacute;g&eacute;, backed Macron during his 2017 presidential run.
Bayrou&rsquo;s downfall came after lawmakers rejected his leadership by 364 to 194 votes, a decisive defeat. He had argued that France&rsquo;s fragile public finances, including a 5.8% deficit and national debt above &euro;3.3 trillion, demanded tough decisions such as spending cuts and even scrapping public holidays.
In contrast, opposition leaders hailed Bayrou&rsquo;s exit. Jean-Luc M&eacute;lenchon of France Unbowed declared it a &ldquo;victory for the people,&rdquo; while far-right leader Marine Le Pen demanded new elections, saying only a fresh majority could draft a credible budget.
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Lecornu is expected to announce his cabinet in the coming days, with the official handover from Bayrou scheduled for Wednesday noon in Paris. The &Eacute;lys&eacute;e Palace confirmed that Macron has instructed Lecornu to open talks with all parliamentary blocs to secure compromises on the budget and key policies &mdash; an unusual move in French politics.
This appointment marks the fourth change of prime minister in just one year, underlining Macron&rsquo;s struggle to stabilise a minority government while pushing ahead with contentious reforms, including pension age increases and tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy.
Analysts warn that Lecornu faces an uphill task navigating a fractured assembly and deepening political divisions, with France entering what many describe as a &ldquo;grey political zone.&rdquo;

French parliament debates Lecornu’s appointment

Macron turns to loyalist Sébastien Lecornu after Bayrou ousted in confidence vote

Lecornu named France’s new Prime Minister

Macron turns to loyalist Sébastien Lecornu after Bayrou ousted in confidence vote

September 10, 2025 | 14:40 IST