Macron Reappoints Lecornu as French Prime Minister

French President Emmanuel Macron re-appointed Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister on Oct. 10 despite Lecornu resigning from the position four days earlier.

Lecornu released a statement announcing he accepted the appointment “out of duty.”

“The mission entrusted to me by the President of the Republic [is] to do everything possible to provide France with a budget by the end of the year and to address the daily life issues of our fellow citizens,” he said on X.

“We must put an end to this political crisis that exasperates the French people and to this instability that is harmful to France’s image and its interests.”

The 39-year-old former defense minister was France’s fourth prime minister in barely a year.

He accepted the appointment for the first time on Sept. 9, faced with ensuring Macron’s controversial budget was able to get passed through the country’s National Assembly.

However, France’s government remained in gridlock with conservative lawmakers standing in opposition to proposed spending cuts alongside their far-left colleagues

The nation also faced several days of protests in response to planned cuts to public services.

Lecornu resigned on Oct. 6, stating: “By being more selfless for many, by knowing how to show humility. One must always put one’s country before one’s party.”

Accepting Macron’s request to try again, Lecornu made clear that his government’s priority will be restoring public finances, and appears to maintain the sentiments behind his resignation.

Anyone who joins his latest government must not have any ambitions of running in the upcoming presidential election, he said.

“All ambitions are legitimate and useful, but those who join the government must commit to setting aside presidential ambitions for 2027,” he said.

“The new government team must embody renewal and diversity of skills. I will do everything to succeed in this mission.”

Lecornu’s sudden departure prompted calls for Macron’s own resignation and a dissolution of parliament again, as in June 2024.

That snap election saw Macron’s Ensemble Pour la République coalition lose 86 seats, resulting in the formation of the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NPF) coalition and the rise of the right-wing National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella.

“There is no doubt that the ephemeral prime minister had no room to maneuver, and it was certainly Emmanuel Macron himself who formed his government,” Bardella told BFM TV on Oct. 6.

“There can be no stability without a return to the polls and a dissolution of the National Assembly.”

Chris Summers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.