On October 12, France announced a new list of cabinets of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, in which most of the top positions remain unchanged. The move comes as opposition parties are demanding a political change in exchange for their support for urgent budget talks.
Lecornu, who was reappointed as prime minister last week after a previous 27-day term, has pledged to form a "new and diverse" cabinet. However, he has retained previous options for most key positions.
It is not yet clear whether Mr. Lecornu's new cabinet will satisfy the opposition. The far-left French infamous Party (LFI) and the far-right National Group have both said they will submit a no-confidence vote proposal, which means the new administration will face a intense vote over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Socialist Party, a force whose government will almost certainly need support to overcome such a vote, is still holding a waiting attitude.
Roland Lescure, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, was reappointed as Finance Minister. This is an important position, because in the coming days, the government must submit a draft budget to a deeply divided parliament. In addition, Mr Jean-Noel Barrot and Mr Donald Darmanin will continue to hold the positions of Secretary of State and Secretary of Justice.
The most notable change is the appointment of Mr. Laurent Nunez, Paris police chief, as the new interior minister. Mr. Nunez has a lot of experience in the French security apparatus, and was the head of the DGSI domestic intelligence agency.
Prime Minister Lecornu met with President Macron to agree on the list on the evening of October 12, two days after he was reappointed amid France's worst political crisis. The Office of the President said that the proposed budget must be ready before October 15 to comply with the statute of limitations of the Constitution.
For the new government to operate, Mr. Lecornu needs the support of other parties, especially the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party has set a condition: They will support the government's cancellation of President Macron's controversial pension reform and reimposing property tax.
For his part, Prime Minister Lecornu has expressed his willingness to discuss the issue of retirement. On October 11, he said that "all debates can take place as long as they are real," suggesting he could be willing to make a commitment.
