Macron Appoints Defense Minister Lecornu as French Prime Minister

Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu is the fourth prime minister to occupy the role in the past year as the French government stands gridlocked on budget issues.

French President Emmanuel Macron and French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu (L) walk on the tarmac at the 55th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, on June 20, 2025. Benoit Tessier/Pool/Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday announced that he was appointing Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister after the previous officeholder was ousted in a no confidence vote.

“The president of the Republic has entrusted me with the task of building a Government with a clear vision: defending our independence and our power, serving the French people, and ensuring political and institutional stability in the interest of national unity,” Lecornu said in a statement (translated by Grok) on X. “I want to thank him for the confidence he has shown in me by naming me prime minister.”