On October 5, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new government led by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, marking yet another chapter in France’s ongoing political drama. The announcement, coming nearly a month after Lecornu’s own appointment, signals an attempt to restore stability after a period of cabinet collapses, parliamentary deadlock, and mounting public unrest. Yet, as many observers note, the new government’s prospects look uncertain at best, with critics on both the left and right already sharpening their knives.
Lecornu, a centrist and close Macron ally, is France’s fourth prime minister in just over a year. His elevation followed the ouster of his predecessor, who was brought down by a parliament deeply divided over efforts to curb France’s ballooning budget deficit—the largest in the eurozone, according to France 24. The new cabinet, announced Sunday, retains several familiar faces: Bruno Retailleau remains at the Interior Ministry, Jean-Noël Barrot continues as Foreign Minister, and Gérald Darmanin stays on as Justice Minister. But the most notable changes are at the top of France’s economic and defense portfolios.
Roland Lescure, a close Macron confidant with a brief early career stint in the Socialist Party, was named Finance Minister. His appointment is widely seen as a gesture to the left, a move designed to smooth the way for delicate cross-party budget negotiations. As Reuters reports, Lescure’s nomination “was widely seen as a gesture to the left ahead of delicate cross-party budget negotiations.” The government will need all the goodwill it can muster: France’s parliament is split into three hostile blocs—Macron’s centrist minority, the far right, and the left—making compromise both essential and elusive.
Bruno Le Maire, who served as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024 and oversaw France’s “whatever it costs” response to the Covid-19 pandemic, was appointed Defense Minister. The move surprised many political watchers, as Le Maire’s tenure at Finance was marked by soaring deficits and heavy pandemic spending. “The choice of this identical government, flavored with the man who bankrupted France, is pathetic,” far-right leader Marine Le Pen declared on social media, echoing widespread skepticism about the cabinet’s ability to chart a new course (AP).
For Lecornu, the immediate priority is survival. His government operates as a minority and faces the very real threat of being toppled by a no-confidence vote. The left is already preparing such a motion, while the far-right National Rally, led by Le Pen, is pushing for fresh legislative elections. The National Assembly, France’s powerful lower house, is deadlocked among left-wing parties, a fragile center-right coalition, and the nationalist, anti-immigrant far right. The political deadlock is the direct result of Macron’s gamble in June 2024, when he dissolved the National Assembly and called snap elections in hopes of strengthening his centrist alliance. Instead, the move backfired, producing a fragmented legislature and a series of short-lived governments (AP).
Against this backdrop, Lecornu must present a 2026 budget that will satisfy not only investors and ratings agencies but also a deeply skeptical public. The government’s deficit is the largest in the eurozone—a fact that looms large as the new administration prepares to unveil its fiscal plans. Lecornu has made overtures to the Socialists, proposing a wealth tax long demanded by the left, but with a crucial caveat: business owners’ assets would be excluded, a measure intended to protect companies and jobs. He has also floated income-tax breaks for low-salary couples and improved pensions for retired women, as reported by The New York Times. Yet, he has flatly rejected the Socialists’ main demands, such as a 2 percent tax on wealth above 100 million euros and a suspension of the recently raised legal retirement age.
“Merely sprinkling a series of measures isn’t enough proof that he believes there is a need for a real change,” said Marylise Léon, leader of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor, the country’s largest union. Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist Party, was even more blunt: “Let me say that enough is enough, and if things don’t change, we’re heading straight for no-confidence,” he told Le Parisien (The New York Times).
Meanwhile, the French public has made its discontent known. On October 2, just days before the new cabinet was announced, unions organized a nationwide strike against planned budget cuts. Teachers, students, and public sector workers took to the streets, demanding higher wages, more funding for schools, hospitals, and pensions, and the reversal of unpopular pension reforms. The unrest follows earlier mass protests against austerity measures, with over half a million people marching in recent weeks (India Today).
Lecornu’s strategy, at least for now, is to seek compromise rather than confrontation. He has pledged not to use special constitutional powers—often deployed by minority governments to force through budgets without a vote—to push his fiscal plan through parliament. Instead, he insists that lawmakers must have the final say. “There was no surprise in the government’s commitments or appointments,” Lecornu wrote on social media, emphasizing continuity and transparency (The New York Times).
Yet, the odds are daunting. The French political system is not known for its culture of compromise, and with the National Rally’s appetite for negotiation waning, the path to a stable majority seems narrow. Eric Coquerel, a hard-left lawmaker, dismissed the new government as “Bayrou’s government without Bayrou, and will implement the same policies” (Reuters). For many on the left, Lecornu’s overtures are little more than window dressing, while the right remains wary of any concessions to Socialist demands.
Internationally, the stakes are high. Le Maire, now overseeing defense, will play a key role in shaping France’s response to European security challenges, especially as the United States under President Trump demands that the EU take on more responsibility for supporting Ukraine. Meanwhile, Macron’s weakened position at home complicates his ability to project French influence abroad, with wars in Ukraine and Gaza and shifting U.S. priorities all demanding attention (AP).
As Lecornu prepares to deliver his policy speech to the National Assembly, the fate of his government hangs in the balance. Will his blend of continuity and cautious reform be enough to steer France through its fiscal and political storms? Or will the fractured parliament, restive public, and emboldened opposition bring yet another government down? For now, all eyes are on Paris—and the clock is ticking.
