French Prime Minister Le Cornu Faces Immediate Pressure Ahead of Budget Deadline

Sebastien Le Cornu began his second term as French Prime Minister on Saturday amid clouds of uncertainty. He now faces the urgent task of forming a new cabinet and presenting the budget by Monday, as his political rivals have promised to attempt to bring down his government.

French President Emmanuel Macron reappointed his close ally late Friday night. Le Cornu had resigned just days earlier, stating that it was impossible to form a government capable of passing the 2026 budget in a deeply divided parliament.

Le Cornu’s previous 27-day tenure made him the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history. However, there is no guarantee that he will serve longer this time.

Macron’s decision to reappoint Le Cornu has angered some staunch opponents, who argue that the only way to navigate France’s worst political crisis in decades is either for the president to call new legislative elections or for Le Cornu to resign. Left-wing, far-left, and far-right parties have all pledged to vote to remove him from power, forcing Le Cornu to rely on socialists, whose leaders have so far remained silent on their plans.

Countdown to the Budget

Le Cornu faces intense pressure in the coming days. By Monday, he must present a draft budget—first to the cabinet, and then to parliament on the same day. This means key ministerial appointments, particularly for finance, budget, and social security, must be finalized by then.

Neither the Élysée Palace nor Le Cornu’s office at Matignon has indicated when the cabinet list will be finalized or who might be included.

In a statement Friday, Le Cornu said any minister in his government must forgo personal ambitions of succeeding Macron in 2027—a contest that has contributed to instability in France’s weak minority governments and fragmented legislature. He promised a cabinet characterized by “renewal and diversity.”

Le Cornu provided no details on the draft budget, but following his resignation, he indicated that next year’s budget deficit should be reduced to between 4.7% and 5% of economic output, higher than the 4.6% target set by his predecessor. This year’s deficit is expected to reach 5.4%.

It remains to be seen how Le Cornu will handle Macron’s pension reforms and proposed taxes on billionaires—two measures that socialists previously supported to bolster his weak minority government.