bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

French President Emmanuel Macron named a new government on Sunday, putting together a team under Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu as he struggles to pull the country out of a political crisis.
The new cabinet line-up was unveiled nearly a month after the appointment of Lecornu, Macron’s seventh prime minister.
The latest premier risks being toppled by the opposition in a deeply divided parliament despite his efforts to obtain cross-party support.
Bruno Le Maire, who served as economy minister from 2017 to 2024, was named defence minister.

Roland Lescure was named to take over the economy portfolio, with the difficult task of delivering an austerity budget plan for next year.
Many of the other key ministers kept their jobs.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot retained his post, the presidency said.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin both stayed put.
Rachida Dati, a scandal-ridden culture minister who was set to stand trial for corruption next year, also remained in place.
The presidency unveiled a total of 18 names, with more appointments to be announced at a later stage.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said the new cabinet line-up was “pathetic”.
Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old leader of her National Rally party, also mocked the government and reiterated the threat of censure.
“We made it clear to the prime minister: it’s either a break with the past or a vote of no confidence,” he said on X.
Bardella said the cabinet line-up was “decidedly all about continuity and absolutely nothing about breaking with the past that the French people are expecting”.
Le Pen has said she is waiting to hear Lecornu’s general policy speech on Tuesday before deciding on any further course of action.
Le Pen’s National Rally party senses its best chance to come to power and has urged Macron to call snap legislative elections.
Lecornu might be toppled by the end of next week, said Mujtaba Rahman, Europe director at risk analysis firm Eurasia Group.
“It’s less to me about the composition of the government and more about whether Lecornu will survive,” he said. “The mood is darkening.”
Lecornu’s two immediate predecessors, Francois Bayrou and Michel Barnier, were ousted in a legislative standoff over France’s austerity budget.
France has been mired in deadlock since Macron gambled on snap elections in the middle of last year in the hopes of bolstering his authority.
The move backfired, with voters electing a parliament fractured between three rival blocs.
In early September, Macron named 39-year-old Lecornu in a bid to defuse the deepening political crisis. He plumped for one of his closest allies rather than seeking to broaden the appeal of the government across the political spectrum.
For the past month, Lecornu has held a series of consultations with centrist allies and opposition leaders on the left and right in a bid to agree on a non-aggression pact in parliament and adopt the budget.
Several left-wing parties have threatened to put forward a no-confidence motion against Lecornu.
In recent days, Lecornu has announced a number of concessions, including a pledge not to ram his austerity budget through parliament without a vote, but members of the opposition said they wanted more.
Over the weekend, Lecornu sent a letter to the leaders of Macron’s centrist camp and the conservative Republicans pleading for unity.
“With only a very narrow majority, the government will have to make compromises with other political groups, without abandoning its convictions,” said the letter.


AirAsia boss says ‘bizarre’ Airbus software glitch a ‘good warning’ to sector

Chanel’s Bruno Pavlovsky on Matthieu Blazy’s first collection and the state of the market ahead of Métiers d’Art 2026

Ukraine’s Zelensky reinforces European support as he eyes Trump talks on US deal

Illegal migrants to UK face clothing and mouth searches for phones, SIM cards

France

France unveils yet another government. It also faces risk of collapse

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. Photo Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: AFP

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Photo: EPA

Luxembourg’s Guillaume sworn in as grand duke after his father abdicates

Luxembourg’s Grand Duke Henri and his son, Guillaume, during Henri’s abdication ceremony. Photo: Reuters

Guillaume, who becomes the new grand duke, and his wife, Stephanie. Photo: Reuters

People wave a Luxembourg civil flag as they gather to see the Grand Duke and Duchess on a balcony following their swearing-in ceremony in Luxembourg city on Friday. Photo: AFP

Prince Guillaume (right), Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Princess Stephanie arrive for the abdication ceremony. Photo: EPA

France’s Macron scrambles to find new prime minister after government ousted

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou before a speech and a confidence vote in Paris on Monday. Photo: TNS

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou addresses the National Assembly before a confidence vote that ousted him. Photo: Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: dpa

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen at the National Assembly in Paris on Monday. Photo: Reuters

EU eyes building ‘drone wall’ against Russia – but what is it?

Workers install anti-drone nets along a road near Oleksandriya, Ukraine, on Thursday. Photo: AFP

A Russian soldier launches a drone for an action in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, in footage released on Thursday. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (centre) is pictured at the end of the 7th European Political Community Summit in Copenhagen on Thursday. Photo: AFP

New French prime minister forced to fight fires on first day at work

A protester brandishes a flare during the “Bloquons Tout”, or “Block Everything”, protests on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Sebastien Lecornu (left) shakes hands with Francois Bayrou as he arrives for the handover ceremony in Paris on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Police officers in riot gear clash with demonstrators at the “Bloquons Tout”, or “Block Everything”, protests on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

France’s Macron facing critical dilemma after second PM ousted in a year

France’s President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: AFP

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou addresses the National Assembly, prior to a parliamentary confidence vote. Photo: AP

France’s Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after the confidence vote. Photo: AFP

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Photo: AFP

News

World

Europe

Prime Minister Lecornu risks being toppled by a no-confidence vote over the austerity budget as early as next week


Prime Minister Lecornu risks being toppled by a no-confidence vote over the austerity budget as early as next week.


Emmanuel Macron

Francois Bayrou

Bruno Retailleau

Jean-Noel Barrot