France’s recently reappointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unveiled a new Cabinet on Sunday evening, the Élysée Palace announced, as he faces mounting pressure to stabilize the government and push through a crucial budget.
Several key Cabinet portfolios remain in the hands of the incumbents.
Lecornu has kept Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin and the new Economy and Finance Minister Roland Lescure, who was only appointed a week ago, in office.
Former labour minister Catherine Vautrin will become defence minister, a post previously held by Lecornu.
Paris police prefect Laurent Nuñez will become the new interior minister.
The task of forming a new government in France has been facing renewed pressure as President Emmanuel Macron prepares to attend the Gaza summit in Egypt on Monday, making him absent at a crucial time.
Lecornu, who got his job back on Friday a few days after resigning, needed to form a new Cabinet by Monday so that the 2026 budget can be presented after a Cabinet meeting on the same day.
If this deadline is missed, France could enter the new year without an approved budget, further burdening its already strained public finances.
Several opposition parties have already announced plans to table a motion of no confidence, even before new government was named, while others say their decision will depend on whether Lecornu promises a change in political direction.
Whether the prime minister can survive the challenge remains uncertain. A confidence vote could take place as early as Thursday.