Just days into his second mandate as Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu is under pressure from all sides, with censure motions, party expulsions and warnings from President Emmanuel Macron against political destabilisation.
Sébastien Lecornu officially launched his new government in Paris on Monday 13th October, following his reappointment as Prime Minister by President Emmanuel Macron on Friday. The unveiling of his 34-member cabinet — a mix of political veterans and technical profiles — comes at a moment of heightened political tension in France, with immediate threats from both the left and the far right.
Lecornu’s top priority is passing the 2026 budget in a deeply fractured National Assembly. But his government is already walking a tightrope, facing multiple motions of censure just days after taking office.
Right-wing backlash and party expulsions
Six ministers affiliated with Les Républicains were expelled from the party over the weekend after defying party orders to join Lecornu’s cabinet. The decision deepens the rift between the executive and the conservative wing of French politics, as Les Républicains leader Bruno Retailleau seeks to reinforce party discipline.
On the left, Mathilde Panot of La France Insoumise announced a motion of censure signed by insoumis, Green, Communist and overseas MPs. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen also confirmed her party would submit a censure motion.“Don’t unpack your boxes too quickly,” Panot warned on X. “Censure is coming.”
Macron accuses rivals of sowing instability
From Egypt, where he is on a state visit, President Emmanuel Macron responded to the political storm, warning unnamed “forces” in Parliament of fuelling division at a critical moment for the country.
“Too many have failed to meet the moment with the seriousness expected by the French,” he said. “They have fed speculation and division.”
Macron reaffirmed his support for Lecornu, praising his ministers as “committed to moving the country forward with calm, stability and ambition”.
Quiet launch, tough weeks ahead
In contrast to previous reshuffles, the formation of the new cabinet was deliberately subdued. There were no public ceremonies or media appearances. Ministers were asked to hold their handovers in private, and the team met behind closed doors at Matignon on Monday afternoon.
The government’s first Council of Ministers is scheduled for Tuesday morning. That will be followed by Lecornu’s much-anticipated declaration of general policy and a likely confidence vote — a moment that could determine the short-term survival of the new government.
With no outright majority in the Assembly and a deeply polarised opposition, Lecornu’s second term begins in extremely delicate conditions. His ability to deliver a budget and avoid a collapse will test both his political skill and Macron’s long-term strategy for stabilising the executive.
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Photo credit: Anthony Delanoix, Unsplash