Sébastien Lecornu's Second Government Faces Immediate Political Tests Amid Budget Deadline and Opposition Threats

Sébastien Lecornu's second government was officially appointed on the evening of Sunday, October 12, 2025, and began functioning on Monday. Announced just 48 hours after Lecornu's reappointment as Prime Minister, the new cabinet features familiar figures and a blend of seasoned politicians alongside civil society members and technical experts, signaling continuity but also a move towards sobriety in governance. Key appointments include Gérald Darmanin as Minister of Justice, Laurent Nuñez at the Interior Ministry, and Catherine Vautrin leading the Armed Forces and Veterans. Other notable ministers are Rachida Dati for Culture, Roland Lescure for Economy and Finance, and Édouard Geffray for National Education. Delegated ministers such as Aurore Bergé for Gender Equality and Maud Bregeon as government spokesperson were also named to support various portfolios.

The government faces a high-stakes political environment from the outset. Central to its immediate agenda is the submission of a crucial budget proposal to Parliament, with the deadline on the same day as the first council of ministers, scheduled for Tuesday at 10 AM. That afternoon, Lecornu is set to deliver his general policy statement outlining the government's roadmap. However, Lecornu's administration lacks a parliamentary majority, complicating legislative efforts.

Opposition parties are already signaling confrontation. Left-wing groups such as La France Insoumise (LFI) and the far-right National Rally (RN) have declared intentions to motion for censure against Lecornu II. The Socialist Party (PS), with its leadership expressing muted critiques and issuing conditional warnings—particularly related to pension reforms—also foreshadows possible dissent. The ecologists appear disappointed yet measured in response, while tensions have risen within Les Républicains, whose six members broke party discipline to join the government despite official opposition.

These motions of censure could be submitted shortly after Lecornu's policy address and, if adopted within 48 hours, might precipitate the government's fall early in its mandate. Marine Le Pen of the RN openly advocated for the dissolution of the National Assembly and early elections, confident that such a scenario would favor her party. Meanwhile, critics have described the new government as a ‘pure Macronist’ entity dominated by technocrats and questioned its stability following the rapid collapse of the previous cabinet.

The Lecornu II government thus enters office under pressure to deliver swift legislative progress, particularly on budget matters, while fending off persistent opposition challenges threatening its survival.