France: Macron appoints confidant Lecornu as Prime Minister

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister, dashing hopes of a concession from the left. Observers see the choice of the 39-year-old former conservative as a sign that Macron, with a minority government, is sticking to his pro-business reform course. In the past, he had cut taxes for corporations and the wealthy and raised the retirement age.

The president was forced to appoint his fifth head of government in less than two years after parliament ousted his predecessor, François Bayrou, on Monday in a vote of confidence he himself had initiated . Bayrou only managed to stay in office for nine months. The 74-year-old failed in his efforts to tackle the high national debt with massive spending cuts because the left wing rejected his proposals. The main criticism was that the planned reforms would primarily affect lower-income people while favoring the wealthy.

The right-wing nationalists, like the radical left around Jean-Luc Mélenchon, are demanding the dissolution of parliament and new elections. Marine Le Pen of the Rassemblement National said after Bayrou's defeat: "This moment marks the end of the death throes of a phantom government." Macron, however, says he intends to remain in office. He himself caused the current crisis when he dissolved the National Assembly andcalled voters to the polls after the government was overthrown last year. Since then, the president no longer has a parliamentary majority of his own.

Under the watchful eye of Fitch

Traditionally, coalitions and party alliances play a lesser role in France than in Germany, for example. The split within the National Assembly also makes the prospects for the next government appear rather bleak, while the capital markets are watching developments with suspicion: Last year, the budget deficit reached almost double the EU limit of three percent of economic output. On Friday, the rating agency Fitch will review its rating for France, which currently stands at "AA-" with a negative outlook.

Shortly before his departure, Bayrou had warned parliamentarians about the country's high debt burden: "France's survival is at stake." At 114 percent of economic output, the country has the third-highest debt ratio in the European Union after Greece and Italy. In absolute terms, the Republic is burdened with the highest debt mountain in the Eurozone , at approximately €3.3 trillion.

Under the wing of Sarkozy

The new Prime Minister, Lecornu, began his political career with the conservatives under former President Nicolas Sarkozy. He left the Les Républicains party to join Macron's centrist movement during his first election in 2017. Five years later, he led Macron's re-election campaign.

By appointing his confidant, the president risks alienating the Socialists, who had opposed Macron's key economic policy measures, such as the abolition of the wealth tax and the raising of the retirement age. Macron, however, considers these measures essential to making France more attractive to investors.

Under pressure from the street

The government may now have to rely on tacit support from the right-wing populists of the Rassemblement National, with whose leadership Lecornu has maintained contacts in the past.

At the same time, he and Macron are facing a newly formed citizens' movement that has organized nationwide protests for this Wednesday under the slogan "Bloquons tout" ("Let's block everything!"). However, the mobilization is taking place in a decentralized manner via social media, so it remains unclear who exactly is behind the calls.

The government has deployed a large contingent of 80,000 police officers. Up to 100,000 people could participate in planned demonstrations. According to authorities, nearly 200 people have been arrested so far. Initial protests took place in the capital, Paris, and several other cities, including Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau reported attacks on police officers, acts of sabotage of power lines, and a burned-down bus. He declared that the civil movement had been co-opted by left-wing extremists.

There are fears that operations at airports, train stations, and highways will be paralyzed by blockades or acts of sabotage. The French railway company has announced disruptions to regional services. Protests are also expected at companies and universities. The unions have also called for strikes on September 18.

Under Merkel’s motto

Lecornu himself addressed the entire French public directly on the evening of his appointment. He said in his speech that he understood the expectations and was aware of the difficulties. At the same time, he made a promise that is rather rare in politics: Lecornu announced that he would approach his work with humility.

Upon taking office, he added: "The discrepancy between the country's political life and real life is worrying." Meanwhile, the phrase with which former Chancellor Angela Merkel once advocated for the acceptance of refugees in Germany – and which Lecornu now quoted – attracted media attention: "We can do it."

jj/se (dpa, afp, rtr)