France’s government falls in no-confidence vote, Sébastien Lecornu named new prime minister

François Bayrou failed to obtain the confidence of the National Assembly on Monday, September 8: deputies voted 364 against and 194 in favor. Following the resignation of the Prime Minister, President Emmanuel Macron appointed Sébastien Lecornu as his substitute.

The Bayrou government ultimately lasted only a few months – nine, to be exact. François Bayrou had been appointed Prime Minister by Emmanuel Macron following the resignation of Michel Barnier on December 5, after a no-confidence motion was passed by the National Assembly on December 4. Prime Minister François Bayrou submitted his resignation to the President of the Republic, which was accepted, on Tuesday, September 9. On the same day, Emmanuel Macron appointed Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister.

At 39 years old, Sébastien Lecornu is a loyal supporter close to Emmanuel Macron and has been part of every government team since June 2017.

According to the Élysée communication, Emmanuel Macron entrusted the Prime Minister with the task of: “consulting the political forces represented in Parliament with a view to adopting a national budget and building the agreements necessary for decisions in the coming months.”

The Prime Minister has begun negotiations with political parties to try to form a government alliance ranging from the right to the left. On Friday, September 12, he met with social partners, including unions and employers’ associations.

For now, Sébastien Lecornu is working with the outgoing government, in the midst of social unres with the “Bloquons tout” movement and a planned day of strike action on September 18.

The budgetary calendar could, as it did last year, be affected by these government changes. Article 39 of the Organic Law on Finance Laws (LOLF) states that the draft finance bill “must be submitted no later than the first Tuesday in October” – which this year falls on October 7– and “is immediately referred to the committee responsible for finance” in the National Assembly. This represents the first important deadline for the new government to meet in a few weeks.