French President Emmanuel Macron chose Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu as the country's new prime minister on Tuesday.

His appointment, hours after the resignation of Francois Bayrou signals Macron's intent to maintain a minority government.

The 39-year-old Lecornu was in the running for the job back in December before Macron opted for the supposedly steady experience of the older Bayrou.

Once a member of the center-right Republicans, Lecornu joined Macron's centrist movement in 2017 and led the president's re-election campaign in 2022.

Macron has directed Lecornu "to consult the political forces represented in parliament with a view to adopting a budget for the nation and making the agreements essential for the decisions of the coming months," the Elysee announced.

Fifth French prime minister in two years

Macron was forced to appoint a fifth prime minister in less than two years after parliament ousted Francois Bayrou nine months into the role over his plans for taming the country's ballooning debt.

Bayrou officially tendered his resignation to Macron earlier on Tuesday, a day after his government was defeated in a confidence vote at the National Assembly.

Macron said he had "taken note" of the parliamentary vote.

With the national debt now at 114% of GDP, 74-year-old Bayrou had proposed spending cuts totaling €44 billion ($51 billion) in 2026 and the scrapping of two public holidays.

Despite his pleas to the National Assembly to "face reality" and "act without delay" to avoid "domination by creditors," opposition lawmakers from the far-left and far-right combined to vote him down 364 to 194 after just nine months in office.

In handing the job to Lecornu, Macron risks alienating the center-left Socialist Party and leaves the president and his government depending on Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally for support in parliament.

Lecornu a former conservative

In 2024, Lecornu controversially had dinner with the leader of the far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National or RN), Marine Le Pen – a meeting which caused outrage on the left but may render Lecornu acceptable to the right.

RN President Jordan Bardella said they would "judge - without illusion - the new prime minister on his merits," while warning the party still held strict "red lines."

The RN still believes it was robbed of victory in last July's legislative elections when, after coming out on top in the first round of voting, it was defeated in the second round by the New Popular Front (Nouveau Front Populaire or NFP), a hastily cobbled together coalition of left-wing parties which are now demanding a socialist prime minister.

"It is now up to the left, which came out on top [last year], to govern, and to those who want to assume their responsibilities to take the initiative," said socialist lawmaker Boris Vallaud on Monday. "As socialists, we will not shy away from this."

'Block everything': France braces for nationwide protests

Meanwhile, protesters are planning a series of strikes and other disruptions across France on Wednesday under the slogan: "Bloquons tout" – let's block everything.

France's civil aviation agency (DGAC) said it is expecting disturbances and delays at "all French airports," while protesters in Paris are planning to block key entrances to the city center around the périphérique, the ring-road which encircles the capital.

Also in the Paris region, retail giant Amazon could be affected by strikes, as could TotalEnergies in the north.

French railway operator SNCF said that high-speed TGV trains would "operate normally" both domestically and internationally.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse