Meet Sebastien Lecornu, appointed as France’s new PM, loyalist to…, currently serving as…
Paris: After Francois Bayrou’s government, French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday evening announced the name of Sebastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister of the country. Lecornu is currently serving as the Defence Minister of France. Bayrou was removed from his position following a confidence vote in the European country’s Parliament on Monday. He had been appointed as PM less than a year ago, replacing conservative leader and former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. Notably, the French President’s decision to appoint Lecornu as France’s new PM comes ahead of massive protests planned on Wednesday by ‘Block Everything’, which has led the government to mobilise an unusual 80,000 police officers to maintain law and order. Let’s know more about Sebastien Lecornu.
Who Is Sebastien Lecornu?
The 39-year-old politician also holds the milestone of becoming the youngest-ever defence minister of the European country. And now he will take charge as France’s fourth PM in just a year. Lecornu played a key role in planning a major military expansion plan through 2030. The decision has been majorly impacted by Russia-Ukraine war. Lecornu is considered as a very close ally of President Macron.
Sebastien Lecornu became a part of Macron’s centrist movement in the year 2017. Since the he has taken on multiple positions within local governments, overseas regions, and even during the ‘great debate’, which was held after the yellow vest protests. During the great debate, he facilitated discussions to address people’s anger. In 2021, he initiated talks on autonomy in response to the unrest in Guadeloupe.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Emmanuel Macron appointed Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu as France’s new Prime Minister, replacing Francois Bayrou.
- At 39, Lecornu, the youngest-ever defence minister, to rise as France’s fourth PM in just a year.
- His past roles include handling unrest in Guadeloupe and leading debates after the yellow vest protests.
- Lecornu championed a euro 413 billion defence plan (2024–2030), France’s biggest in 50 years.
Did Macron Reward Sebastien Lecornu’s Because Of His Loyalty?
It is worth noting that, Lecornu’s rise shows Macron’s preference for loyalty and the need for stability after budget clashes toppled past leaders. Lecornu has pretty good experience in handling massive riots and unrest, as an overseas territories minister (2020–2022), he dealt with several protests and riots and strikes in Guadeloupe during the pandemic. He even discussed limited autonomy to address long-standing inequality with mainland France.
Lecornu backed a 413 billion euro (USD 435 billion) defence plan for the year 2024–2030. It is the biggest defence plan in 50 years. Under this plan to France will upgrade its nuclear arsenal, boost its intelligence, and expand remote-controlled weapons.
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