This is a high risk bet: Once appointed prime minister, the Sebastian Lekornos presented as the last paper of Emmanuel Macron to rejuvenate a paralyzed majority and to calm tensions in a deeply divided French National Assembly. But, as Politico points out, his mission is huge: to get a deal for tens of billions of euros in costs to avoid a debt crisis.
Sebastian Lekornou, the fifth prime minister in less than two years, is not unknown in the Presidential environment of Emmanuel Macron. A former defense minister is described as the French President’s confidence man, capable of sharing a drink at 3 in the morning in Bregansson and negotiating hard with the opposition.
As early as 2018 he had played a decisive role in the relief of the “yellow vests” crisis, and in 2023 he managed to pass a seven -year military spending program with the vote of more than 400 MPs, despite the fragmented parliament.
A realistic negotiator
Macron bets on this “repairer” profile to build bridges between conservatives and socialists. Lekornou, coming from the Right, maintains good relations with the Republican Party, but has also won the respect of the Left for the way he managed France’s re -equipment after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. An indication of the change of approach is that it has already abandoned the unpopular idea of removing two holidays.
However, the margin of movement remains limited. The Socialists require the suspension of the retirement reform-a red line for Macron-and the imposition of a new tax on the rich, which Elise rejects. In return, the president hinted that he could mitigate his ambitions for strict austerity, abandoning the plan of François Bairou’s predecessor, which provided for saving 43.8 billion euros in 2026.
According to Politico, the political survival of the Lekornos will depend on his ability to extract concessions from both the opposition and … on his own camp. A challenge that could turn this close associate of Macron into his most dangerous opponent if the political crisis worsens.