French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister, replacing Francois Bayrou, who was dismissed after losing a parliamentary confidence vote.

At 39, Lecornu, France’s youngest defence minister, will lead cross-party talks to revise the 2026 budget and form a new government. A Macron loyalist since 2017, he played a key role in France’s 2030 military expansion plan.

Lecornu is France’s fifth PM in two years, and the National Rally’s stance on his premiership remains unclear.