Macron names Lecornu cabinet with Le Maire defense, Lescure finance

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday unveiled a new cabinet under Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, appointing former finance minister Bruno Le Maire as defense minister and naming Roland Lescure to head the finance portfolio, in a lineup that keeps many senior ministers in place as the government prepares to confront a fraught budget process and persistent political instability. The installment comes nearly a month after Lecornu, a 39-year-old former defense minister and close Macron ally, was named prime minister.

Le Maire, who served as economy minister from 2017 to 2024, will now oversee France's military posture, including continued support for Ukraine and responses to European security concerns linked to Russia. Lescure inherits a finance ministry facing a rising deficit and public debt that have worried investors and divided lawmakers. Other senior posts largely stayed the same: Bruno Retailleau remains interior minister, Jean-Noël Barrot continues as foreign minister, Gérald Darmanin stays at the justice ministry, Elisabeth Borne returns to the education ministry and Agnès Pannier-Runacher remains at the environment ministry. Catherine Vautrin will continue at...