Macron appoints Minister of the Armed Forces as new Prime Minister.

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

**Arabian Gulf_AFP:** **French President Emmanuel Macron decided on Tuesday to appoint Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister.** **The French presidency said that President Macron initially tasked him with consulting with parties in order to reach "the necessary agreements for the decisions to be taken in the coming months," before forming a new government.** **With this, Lecornu becomes the seventh Prime Minister under Macron, and the fifth since the beginning of his second term in 2022. This is unprecedented in the Fifth Republic system, which was declared in 1958 and was long known for its stability.** **Unprecedented Crisis** **But this system has been experiencing an unprecedented crisis since the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024, in a measure that called for general elections that did not lead to the formation of a significant majority.** **The French presidency said that President Macron initially tasked Lecornu with consulting with parties in order to reach "the necessary agreements for the decisions to be taken in the coming months," before forming a new government.** **He added: "The President of the Republic has entrusted me with the task of forming a government with a clear direction, which is to defend our independence and strength, serve the French people, and achieve political and institutional stability for the unity of the country."** **Close to Macron** **Lecornu, 39, has been a member of the government since 2017, rising through the ranks to take over the Ministry of the Armed Forces (Defense) at a very sensitive time with the outbreak of the war waged by Russia in Ukraine. He is loyal to Macron and close to him.** **After acknowledging the defeat of his camp in the early legislative elections after the dissolution of the National Assembly in the summer of 2024, and appointing Michel Barnier as Prime Minister and then François Bayrou, Macron decided to place his trust in a figure from his camp.** **The leader of the far-right National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, said in a post on X: "The President is firing the last bullet for his Macronist camp, fortified by a small group of loyalists."** **For his part, the leader of the radical left (France Unbowed party), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, denounced a "sad farce" and again called for Macron's departure.** **The dilemma facing the French President is the same as it has been for more than a year, which is to find a figure capable of standing up to an assembly that is more fragmented than ever.** **Decisive Position of the Socialist Party** **The prevailing belief in the Élysée is that the fragile coalition that was established a year ago between the Macron camp and the right is the constant. The President has urged his leaders to "work with the Socialists" in order to "expand" his base.** **But he refused to go so far as to appoint the leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, as Prime Minister, despite his proposal to form a "left-wing government" seeking to reach "compromises."** **In order to survive, the next government must obtain, at least, the non-opposition of the Socialist Party, which is essential for approving the 2026 budget, which includes cuts of 44 billion euros and caused the fall of the Bayrou government.** **The country faces a first test on the level of indebtedness on Friday, as Fitch will issue its new rating for French debt.** **Fitch's current rating for France is AA negative (-AA) with a negative outlook, and a downgrade could lead investors to demand a higher rate of return for holding French government bonds.** **Social Movement** **This summer, a new movement emerged on social media under the slogan "Let's shut everything down," with the support of some unions and the radical left, calling for paralyzing the country starting on Wednesday, amid widespread distrust of Macron, whose popularity has reached its lowest levels since he took office in 2017. A recent poll showed that about 77 percent of French people are dissatisfied with him.** **The Ministry of the Interior announced that about 80,000 police and security personnel will be deployed on Wednesday throughout the country, where hundreds of events and protests will be organized.** **The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, for its part, expected disruptions and delays at "all French airports."**