Newly Reappointed French Prime Minister Tries Again

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu presented his new cabinet on Sunday night, keeping top posts mostly unchanged, a move that threatens to bring down his government again, CNN reported. 

Lecornu, who resigned as prime minister last Monday after only 27 days in office, was reappointed by French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday. He pledged to form a government of “renewal and diversity,” but instead maintained his previous picks for most of the choice jobs.  

The new government is finding it difficult to get its so-called austerity budget for next year approved by France’s deeply divided parliament: The budget cuts France’s massive public spending deficit, which is concerning markets and international institutions, Politico wrote.  

The budget proposal must be ready by Wednesday to adhere to constitutional deadlines, and having a cabinet is a legal precondition for presenting the plan. 

Meanwhile, it is unclear whether Lecornu’s new government will last – his previous cabinet was in place for just 14 hours. 

Both the far-left party France Unbowed (LFI) and the far-right National Rally filed motions of no confidence on Monday that could bring the government down by the end of the week. Together, the two parties hold more than a third of the seats in the National Assembly.  

Meanwhile, the Socialist Party said it will decide on its support for Lecornu’s cabinet depending on his proposals, particularly concerning the suspension of Macron’s controversial pensions reform and the introduction of a wealth tax, proposals rejected by the right. The Socialists’ support will be crucial for the survival of the new government. 

Lecornu said on Sunday that he does not rule out resigning again. 

“If the conditions were no longer met again, I’d leave,” he told La Tribune Dimanche. “I’m not going to just go along with whatever.”  

If Lecornu fails to obtain parliamentary support, France would have to pass emergency temporary measures to authorize spending from Jan. 1 until a full budget is approved.