France's Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu leaves the National Assembly after the parliamentary extraordinary session prior to a confidence vote over the government's austerity budget, in Paris on September 8, 2025. France's parliament is expected to oust Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on September 8, 2025 after just nine months in office, plunging the key EU member into new political uncertainty and creating a painful dilemma for President Emmanuel Macron. Bayrou blindsided even his allies by calling a confidence vote to end a months-long standoff over his austerity budget, which foresees almost 44 billion euros ($52 billion) of cost savings to reduce France's debt pile. [Photo/Agencies]
PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron nominated Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old, who has served as the defense minister for over three years, is a close associate of Macron, local media reported.
Lecornu will be tasked with consulting political parties to "build the necessary agreements for decisions in the coming months," according to the Elysee.
On his social media account X, former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, president of the political coalition Together for the Republic in the National Assembly, voiced his support for Lecornu, saying that it serves "the public interest."
Marine Le Pen, former presidential candidate of National Rally, commented that President Macron is "playing his last card of Macronism" following Lecornu's nomination.
Macron made the appointment one day after the outgoing Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and his cabinet were ousted on Monday in a parliamentary confidence vote over his plan to reduce public spending. Bayrou submitted his resignation earlier on Tuesday.
The handover of power between Bayrou and Lecornu is set to take place on Wednesday at noon at Matignon, the French prime minister's office.
