French President Macron appointed Defense Minister Lecornu as prime minister – and fierce criticism followed swiftly. But with the new head of government, Macron now wants to change his crisis tactics.

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed former Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister. The extremely discreet Lecornu is considered a close confidant of the president. The now 39-year-old has served continuously in Macron's governments since 2017 – including as Secretary of State, then as Minister, and most recently in the Defense Ministry.

Politically, he originally came from the conservative camp, but later switched to Macron's party. He is said to have close ties to the right-wing nationalist Rassemblement National (RN).

But whether this will help him in his difficult task of implementing a consensus-based austerity budget is questionable. In any case, the leader of the RN parliamentary group, Marine Le Pen, wrote rather hostilely on X:"Macron is firing his last bullet."

Criticism also comes from the left

Macron's decision also comes from the left-of-center opposition. Marine Tondelier of the Green Party said on BFM television that evening:"This is all a provocation. Macron's party lost the snap elections last year, and he happily keeps appointing prime ministers from his own camp." This won't end well, Tondelier said.

Jean-Luc Melenchon's left-wing party, the LFI, is also appalled. He calls Lecornu's appointment a"sad comedy." Melenchon argues that Macron shows contempt for the voters. The Socialists, for their part, declared in a communiqué that Macron's election would"exacerbate the crisis, mistrust, and instability." They warned: "Macron risks legitimate social anger and institutional blockage."

"It hasn't become a socialist. I welcome that."

Bruno Retailleau, on the other hand, reacted with real relief. The conservative Republican, now only acting Minister of the Interior, stated with satisfaction:"It hasn't become a socialist. I welcome that." The task Lecornu must tackle is "heavy," Retailleau stated."But we have a responsibility. The president wants us to reach agreements and formulate some joint projects." The government must tighten its belt and not raise taxes, he demanded.

But this is precisely where opinions differ. How should Lecornu incorporate the diametrically opposed ideas of the individual parties into an austerity budget and achieve consensus?

Macron wants to change tactics

Macron has instructed him to change the method: The new prime minister is to first consult with the various parties and then reach a compromise. Only once this compromise has been found will Lecornu be able to assemble a new government. This order is a minor sensation in political Paris and is already being dubbed the"German method" in the media.

Recently, it has always been the other way around: twice in a row, prime ministers with a government team but without a program have failed to organize majorities in the deeply divided parliament.

Tondelier of the Greens made it clear:"If we participate in these talks at all, we will speak plainly. Very plainly."

Does Lecornu's appointment fuel the protests?

Everyone is now looking forward to the day of protest announced for today. Can Lecornu's appointment relieve the pressure? Eic Coquerel of the left-wing party LFI called on all participants in the protest to remain peaceful:"I appeal to everyone to take to the streets with great calm and not to fall into the trap that has been set for them."

But the discontent of a large part of the population is directed against President Macron. The fact that someone from his inner circle has now been appointed prime minister is likely to fuel this anger.