French President Emmanuel Macron has reappointed Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister. This decision comes days after Lecornu announced his resignation from the post. However, this sudden reappointment has been witness to backlash from key political allies as well as the opposition.
French President Emmanuel Macron has reappointed Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister, days after the leader resigned from the post.(AFP)
The reappointment comes as as part of Macron’s bid to avoid plunging France into another political crisis.
In the past two years, Lecornu is the fifth prime minister to have taken the office. Since Elisabeth Borne’s resignation, he top French office has been subject to frequent change.
Before Lecornu, Gabriel Attal, Michel Barneir and Francois Bayrou held the post of PM.
Lecornu need to propose a 2026 budget on Monday in order to get the legislation adopted by the end of the year through the normal process. If not, the National Assembly will be required to pass an emergency bill to keep the government funded.
By giving Lecornu another chance, Macron is attempting to find political balance to prevent the next government from collapsing, which would likely make snap elections unavoidable and usher in a new period of political instability.
“We must put an end to this political crisis, which is exasperating the French people, and to this instability, which is detrimental to France’s image and its interests,” Lecornu said in a statement on social media late Friday.
If France fails to a cabinet and pass a budget, Macron would once again be pushed to call a parliamentary election or pick his sixth another prime minister in one year. The president could also be pressured to resign, however, Macron had previously said that he will not be stepping down.
‘A bad joke’ on France
Jordan Bardella, the leader of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, wrote on social media after the reappointment announcement that Lecornu returning as PM is a “bad joke” and a “humiliation” for the French people.”
“The National Rally will of course immediately censure this team without any future, whose sole raison d’être is the fear of dissolution, that is, of the people,” said Bardella.
“All the political parties that helped Emmanuel Macron gain the time he needed to implement this shameful manipulation will be held to account at the next elections,” said RN leader Marine Le Pen.
Stephane Trousssel, a spokesperson for the Socialist Party also referred to the reappointment as a ‘bad joke’ on French people.
“It’s a farce. In which Emmanuel Macron is the protagonist. A bad joke for millions of citizens who expect change and hope for the future. They can rest assured that this President’s reign will soon be coming to an end,” he said.
Macron’s move also faced backlash from Green party leader Marine Tondelier.
“It’s incredible that he (Macron) would allow himself to do this, to re-appoint one of his very close friends when it is clear that he should … let the left and the ecologists govern,” she said.
Lecornu’s quits as PM
The French Prime Minister resigned on October 6, less than 24 hours after a new cabinet was revealed. The leader blamed the intransigence of the political groups in the National Assembly for his abrupt resignation.
Days after his resignation, Sébastien Lecornu played down the possibility of conducting snap elections and expressed cautious optimism that an agreement could be reached on France’s budget by the end of the year.
(With agency inputs)