Lecornu named France's new PM

Under the shadow of nationwide protests, France's President Emmanuel Macron has appointed a longtime political ally, Sebastien Lecornu, as the country's new prime minister, replacing Francois Bayrou who resigned after losing a confidence vote.

Lecornu, 39, becomes the seventh prime minister of Macron's presidency after three years as defense minister. He is tasked with consulting France's divided political parties to build consensus on the austerity budget to help break a parliamentary deadlock dating back to the summer 2024 elections.

Bayrou resigned following a decisive no-confidence vote, in which 364 deputies rejected his government's proposed budget and only 194 supported it.

The result triggered a political crisis, and prompted grassroots movement Block Everything to plan nationwide anti government protests on Wednesday.

According to the president's office, Macron has told Lecornu "to consult the political forces represented in parliament with a view to adopting a budget for the nation and making the agreements essential for the decisions of the coming months".

In a statement, Lecornu thanked Macron for choosing him, saying: "The president of the republic has entrusted me with the task of building a government with a clear direction: the defense of our independence and power, the service of the French people, and political and institutional stability for the unity of the country."

In picking Lecornu, who began his career in the conservative Republicans party before joining Macron's movement in 2017, the president has opted for a confidant rather than broadening the appeal of the government across the political spectrum. The appointment drew swift reaction across party lines, reported Reuters.

Marine Le Pen, who leads the far-right National Rally, or RN, said: "The president is firing the last shot of Macronism, holed up in his bunker with his small group of loyalists. After the inevitable future legislative elections, the prime minister will be Jordan Bardella."

RN party leader Bardella said: "Emmanuel Macron's motto: you don't change a losing team. How could a loyal supporter of the president break with the policy he has been pursuing for eight years?"

From the far left, France Unbowed party chairman Jean-Luc Melenchon attacked both the appointment and Macron's leadership, saying: "Macron's response to Bayrou's reversal: from now on, it's exactly as it was before."

In a scathing response, Mathilde Panot, who leads the France Unbowed group in the National Assembly, attacked Lecornu's record on protest movements and promised opposition.

Former prime minister Edouard Philippe, the Horizons party leader, remarked that Lecornu was a sensible choice.

"He knows how to debate and he'll need this talent for debate and listening to find a deal in circumstances he knows are pretty complicated," he said.

Bruno Retailleau, interior minister in Bayrou's outgoing government, welcomed the choice and argued for a tougher line on security and immigration.

"We need to build a project that satisfies the national majority," he said.

Olivier Faure, the Socialist Party chief, rejected the appointment, saying Macron is "stubbornly pursuing a path that no socialist will participate in.

Without social, fiscal, and ecological justice, without measures to boost purchasing power, the same causes will produce the same effects".

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