PARIS, September 10. /TASS/. France’s newly appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu took over the reins from his predecessor Francois Bayrou during a ceremony at Hotel Matignon, the official residence of the French prime minister.
The ceremony, held amid rallies and strikes against austerity measures announced by the previous government, was brief.
The new premier and his predecessor spent 45 minutes talking behind closed doors. In his five-minute speech, Bayrou welcomed his successor and pledged him support. He urged Lecornu to take measures to restore civil accord and expressed hope that the political situation will eventually stabilize.
Lecornu’s response was even shorter and lasted three minutes. He noted Bayrou’s courage in defending his principles. He emphasized the need to bridge the gap between politics and real life and urged to work with the opposition.
Political experts believe 39-year-old Lecornu's "lack of popularity" could work against him. Not many people would recognize the new premier in the street. However, Lecornu has a long history as a civil servant and has worked in the French government since Emmanuel Macron was elected president in 2017. For the past three years, he held the position of the defense minister.
Immediately after taking office, Lecornu met with a number of party leaders to discuss the functioning of the country’s government and its new budget. The premier is to form his cabinet before the start of the parliament’s new session, which begins on October 1. Within the next three weeks and no later than October 15 he is to submit to the parliament the draft 2026 budget, which is to be approved by December 31. He will retain his post of the defense minister until the new government is formed.