PARIS (AP) — France’s new reappointment Prime Minister Sebastien Lecorne A new government was formed on Sunday as it faces pressure to quickly come up with a budget and quell political turmoil that has scared off businesses and investors and tarnished the country’s image.
The cabinet includes several familiar faces from previous governments from French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist and conservative allies, as well as people from outside politics.
how This new team will last. Macron, whose term ends in 2027, lacks a majority of the people. deeply divided parliament And he is losing support from his own ranks. meanwhile Marine Le Pen’s descendants The far-right party National Rally is calling for new elections, while the far-left party France Enboud is calling for the president to resign.
Shortly after the presidential administration announced the new cabinet, the conservative Republican Party announced it would expel six members who had agreed to join the government.
Lecorne, a 39-year-old centrist and close ally of President Macron, and his government will now have to find a compromise to avoid an immediate no-confidence vote in parliament, which is deeply divided between far-right, centrist and left-wing factions.
The new appointments include a new defense minister, former Labor minister Catherine Vautrin, who will oversee France’s military support for Ukraine and address the threat to European security posed by Russia.
Laurent Nunez, the Paris police chief who oversaw security for the 2024 Olympics, will become interior minister in charge of national security. Laurent Lescure is set to become finance minister, a key role as France tries to craft a budget to tackle mounting debt and rising poverty.
Among those keeping their jobs is Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault, who will travel to Egypt with President Macron on Monday for an international ceremony to commemorate the Gaza ceasefire.
Mr Lecornu, France’s fourth prime minister in a year, appointed his first government a week ago but resigned hours later amid protests by members of the main conservative coalition. It unleashed days of political uncertainty.
Mr Macron on Friday persuaded Mr Lecorne to remain prime minister and changed his name. Mr Lecorne acknowledged on Saturday that there were not “many candidates” for his position and that he might not remain in the position for long given the situation in the country. deep political rifts.
Lecorne may be forced to abandon unpopular pension reform, which was one of the hallmarks of Macron’s second term. Passed through parliament without a vote Despite massive protests, the retirement age will be gradually raised from 62 to 64 in 2023. Opposition parties are calling for its abolition.
President Macron’s shocking decision last year dissolve the parliament It has created a hung parliament and political paralysis in the face of a debt crisis that has spooked domestic businesses, global financial markets and EU member states.
