News Digest: (Another) New Prime Minister For France’s Macron

The dust had barely settled after former Prime Minister, François Bayrou, lost his vote of confidence last Monday evening, when President Macron named Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu as his successor. Lecornu is the seventh Prime Minister appointed by Macron since the President took office in 2017, which feels like it should be a record, but in fact it ties with another president of the Fifth Republic, François Mitterrand, who also had seven Prime Ministers.

A former member of the right-wing Les Républicains party, 39-year-old Normandy-born Lecornu joined Macron’s centrist party in 2017. He’s been a member of the government since Macron took office and Defence Minister since 2022, surviving several changes of government.

Only time will tell if Lecornu will succeed where others have failed, namely in passing a 2026 Budget that addresses France’s spiralling debt. One week in, he has promised a change of course from his predecessor, stating that he aims to find more creative solutions to working with the opposition, and withdrawing Bayrou’s unsurprisingly unpopular proposal to get rid of two of France’s public holidays.

Lecornu is yet to announce his government, but is expected to in the coming days.

Expect widespread delays and cancellations on national train services, Paris metro, bus, and tram lines, and Air France flights, as well as school closures and limited Uber and other ride-share services. In most instances, you will be informed 48 hours before travel if your route is affected, so keep a lookout for notices, and make sure you double-check your tickets prior to travelling. If you must travel on Thursday, it’s recommended to leave extra time to account for delays.