Updated September 9, 2025 at 12:13 PM PDT

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron appointed his defense minister, Sébastien Lecornu, as the country's new prime minister after former Prime Minister François Bayrou submitted his resignation Tuesday morning.

The 39-year-old Lecornu is a Macron loyalist who has served as defense minister since 2022. He has a background in local politics, but enjoyed a quick ascent on the national stage, working as a junior minister for the environment and overseas territories before being named defense minister.

Lawmakers voted down Bayrou's economic plans in a no-confidence ballot on Monday, causing his government to collapse.

Before Monday's vote, Bayrou said France's big deficit and high debt levels made difficult economic decisions necessary, and urge

See Full Page