Déja-vu? France’s freshly reappointed Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has unveiled his new government as opposition leaders began plotting its downfall.
Following his appointment late last night, Lecornu, who promised a “break” from the politics of Emmanuel Macron, now finds himself accused of delivering nothing more than a carbon copy of the previous government.
The new one is a blend of figures from civil society, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition and the Republicans. It closely resembles that of Macron’s first term in office.
“The new government is a comedy,” declared Mathilde Panot, leader of the hard-left group La France Insoumise (LFI) in the National Assembly, on X today.
“We have tabled the motion of censure that will bring down the Lecornu government! It’s signed by overseas MPs, communists, ecologists, and the entire insoumis group. The country has no time to lose.
“Lecornu will fall and Macron will follow,” she added.
Her advice to the newly appointed ministers? “Don’t unpack your boxes too quickly.”
Marine Tondelier, leader of The Greens, expressed disappointment at the lineup: “New government #Lecornu2, I will not comment tonight. Everyone understands what I think about it.”
Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure offered his own minimalist verdict: “No comment.”
Jordan Bardella, President of the National Rally (RN), said: “The government is nothing more than a game of musical chairs that will change absolutely nothing. The French feel we’ve scraped the bottom of the barrel.”
Bardella today confirmed his party will file its own motion of no confidence “in the coming hours”.
He also announced RN will back the one tabled by LFI, even if the left-wing refuses to reciprocate.
The fate of Lecornu’s government now hangs on the Socialist Party, whose 68 MPs could make or break the censure vote. A majority of 289 votes is needed to topple the cabinet.
RN (123 MPs) and allied conservatives (50 MPs) have vowed to vote down every government until new elections.
The Left bloc of LFI (71), Communists (17), and The Greens (38), will back their own censure motion.
If just 40 Socialists join them, Lecornu’s government will fall. A few deputies from the centrist and volatile Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories (LIOT) group are also expected to turn, raising the odds of collapse further.
Speaking from Egypt, Macron accused the opposition forces of searching for chaos at a time of national uncertainty.
“I believe that many of those who have fuelled division and speculation have failed to rise to the occasion of the moment France is living through, and to what the French people expect,” he said.
“The political forces that worked to destabilise Sébastien Lecornu are the only ones responsible for this disorder,” he insisted.
In an interview yesterday, Louis de Bourbon, one of the heirs to the French throne, declared: “If France asks, I will serve her. The essential condition is that the French people desire the return of the monarchy.”
His statement follows his column, where he denounced the political crisis.
Meanwhile, France’s Conservatives seem to be imploding.
Six of the Republican Party’s senior figures who agreed to join Lecornu’s cabinet have now been expelled from the party, including Rachida Dati, the high-profile politician who had been announced to run for Mayor of Paris in 2026 under the party’s banner.
Party President Bruno Retailleau attempted to draw a clean line between his party and “government collaborators” after his government resignation.
One of France’s royal pretenders, Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou, has criticised the country’s deepening “political and institutional crisis” and urged the French to look to their “monarchic heritage” as a source of renewal and hope. https://t.co/ZabYuGU5Qx
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 9, 2025
