Sébastien Lecornu with Emmanuel Macron.
by Lorenzo Rossi
Emmanuel Macron chose his trusted man. The French President appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, 39 years old, former Minister of Armies and former secretary of state to ecology, entrusting him with the task of “consulting the parties” to build the necessary agreements in view of the next political decisions.
Édouard Philippe’s words
The first to comment on Macron’s choice was the former premier Édouard Philippe (from 2017 to 2020). Speaking on TF1, Lecornu described as a man with “qualities to discuss and find an agreement with other parties”. Philippe invited in search of compromises, while placing clear limits: “The budget of the armies, police and justice must be preserved”.
The attack of the Rassemblement National
The reaction of the Rassemblement National. For Marine Le Pen, Lecornu represents “the last cartridge of macronism”. The leader of the far right has provided that his successor to Matignon “will be called Jordan Bardella”. More pragmatic the president of the RN, who said: “We will judge the new Prime Minister by the facts and his budget choices, without illusions, ready to remind him of our red lines”.
The criticisms of the left and ecologists
Jean-Luc Mélenchon is also very hard. On X the leader of La France Insoumise spoke of “a sad comedy of the contempt of Parliament” and has once again asked for Macron’s resignation. On the same line, the President of the Verdi Marine Tondelier, who defined the appointment “a provocation” and “a total failure to respect the French”, warning that “all this will end badly”.
The dismissal motion
France Insoumise has not limited itself to words. Tuesday presented a new motion of dismissal against President Macron in the assembly, also supported by some ecological and communist deputies. The proposal has very little chances of going through, but the leader Lfi Mathilde Panot recalled that “yesterday two thirds of parliamentarians rejected the confidence in Macronist politics” and that “for a dismissal it serves exactly the same qualified majority”.
A very faithful of the President
The name of Lecornu had been circulating for some time as a possible substitute for Bayrou. A very faithful with mediator skills, crucial to put together a government in parliament enormously divided between extreme political forces. Already in December Macron had thought of him, only to rely on the centrist leader. Today’s choice confirms the President’s will to focus on a very faithful, despite the pressures to appoint a left -wing premier or open a real political table. The handover between François Bayrou and the new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will take place at the palace in Matignon coinciding with a day of mobilization called to block the country promoted by various movements.
