Lecornu government bis: composition and first reactions of the building

Barely gone, he's back. A week after the uproar of his first government, Sébastien Lecornu has been reappointed Prime Minister. The announcement of the composition of his second government took less than a month, but only 48 hours this time. Driven by his desire for "renewal," the Prime Minister has decided to govern without future candidates for the 2027 presidential elections in order to unblock the political situation.

Despite this stated and repeated will, the current crisis does not seem to be resolved either. The LR, who had announced that they did not want to participate in the government, are finally there, but want to exclude the new ministers from the party. The RN immediately declared "censorship of everything" until a dissolution takes place, even going so far as to file a motion of censure and accept the one also filed by LFI.

A budget for December 31

Sébastien Lecornu's stated motivation: to succeed in providing France with a solid budget by the end of the year. After holding a Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday morning, the Prime Minister will open the budget review with his general policy speech on Tuesday afternoon. In this context, where his government risks being overthrown at any moment, he thanked his ministers "for having agreed to return to the government of the Republic at a time that, as we know, is difficult" and whose "sole objective and sole mission, obviously, is to surpass and move beyond this political crisis" that "stuns some of our fellow citizens," calling on his ministers to be "sobriety," "humile," and to "put egos aside."

The composition of the Lecornu 2 government

The ministers

• Mr. Laurent NUÑEZ, Minister of the Interior;
• Mr. Jean-Pierre FARANDOU, Minister of Labor and Solidarity;
• Ms. Monique BARBUT, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature;
• Mr. Gérald DARMANIN, Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice;
• Mr. Roland LESCURE, Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty;
• Mr. Serge PAPIN, Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Trade, Crafts and Tourism and Purchasing Power;
• Ms. Annie GENEVARD, Minister of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Sovereignty;
• Mr. Édouard GEFFRAY, Minister of National Education;
• Mr. Jean-Noël BARROT, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs;
• Ms. Naïma MOUTCHOU, Minister of Overseas Territories;
• Ms. Françoise GATEL, Minister of Regional Planning and Decentralization;
• Ms. Amélie de MONTCHALIN, Minister of Action and Public Accounts;
• Mr. Philippe TABAROT, Minister of Transport;
• Mr. Vincent JEANBRUN, Minister of Cities and Housing.

The delegate ministers

To the Prime Minister:

• Ms. Maud BRÉGEON, Government spokesperson;
• Ms. Aurore BERGÉ, responsible for Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination;

To the Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature:

• Ms. Catherine CHABAUD, in charge of the Sea and Fisheries;
• Mr. Mathieu LEFEVRE, responsible for Ecological Transition;

To the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty;

• Mr. Sébastien MARTIN, responsible for Industry;
• Ms. Anne Le HENANFF, responsible for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology;

To the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs:

• Mr. Benjamin HADDAD, responsible for Europe;
• Mr. Nicolas FORISSIER, responsible for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness;

To the Minister of Health, Families, Independence and Persons with Disabilities:

• Ms. Charlotte PARMENTIER-LECOCQ, responsible for Autonomy and Disabled People;

To the Minister of Regional Planning and Decentralization:

• Mr. Michel FOURNIER, responsible for Rural Affairs;

CAPEB recalls that "political stability" is a "vital requirement for very small businesses in the construction industry"

The CAPEB welcomes the appointment of Sébastien Lecornu to the Prime Minister's office and hopes that this reappointment will usher in a period of stability that is absolutely essential for the country and the businesses that sustain it. It hopes that the Prime Minister and all the political parties in Parliament will succeed in emerging from the political crisis so that the construction industry can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

On behalf of the heads of small and medium-sized construction companies, CAPEB now demands that all political leaders take responsibility, put the general interest first, and take concrete action to resolve the country's problems, particularly in the area of ​​housing.

Craftspeople are suffering the consequences of a deteriorating economic climate: declining activity, shrinking order books, constant changes to energy renovation subsidies, and the absence of arbitration and public decisions that have been expected for months. In this chaotic context, every day counts for the future of construction companies and local employment.

This is why it is urgent that the new government work to quickly resume the issues that have been pending for too long and take the measures that the sector is waiting for. Housing and the 500.000 very small businesses in the construction industry that build, maintain, and adapt it to both climate and generational imperatives must be at the heart of the policy that the CAPEB is calling for. It is the living environment of the French people and the local economic and social fabric that are at stake.

The CAPEB stands ready to exchange views as quickly as possible with Vincent Jeanbrun, appointed Minister for Housing, Serge Papin, Minister of SMEs and Crafts, and Jean-Pierre Farandou, the new Minister of Labor and Solidarity, and sincerely hopes that urgent matters can finally be resolved, in particular the simplification of access to the RGE by monitoring skills and construction sites rather than by an administrative file, the establishment of an energy renovation process by actions, and the fair representation of VSEs in social dialogue. The voice of VSEs and Crafts must no longer be stifled.

For Jean-Christophe Repon, President of CAPEB: "SMEs in the construction industry need stability, visibility, and more than ever, listening, respect, and concrete action. I call on the new Prime Minister to act quickly to unblock the implementation of housing renovation work, particularly energy renovation. I call on all political leaders to exercise the utmost responsibility to ensure the essential stability that the country needs."

A Ministry of SMEs is a positive signal for the Union of Self-Employed and Very Small Enterprises (SDI)... provided that it is not cosmetic

The Union of Self-Employed and Small Businesses (SDI) welcomes the creation of a ministry dedicated to SMEs, entrusted to Mr. Serge Papin, former director of Système U. This is a signal of recognition awaited by local businesses, provided that this new portfolio does not remain a showcase without resources.

For Marc Sanchez, general secretary of the SDI: "Our small businesses are experiencing a silent crisis: depleted cash flow, dwindling margins, and a loss of confidence. A Ministry for SMEs is good news if—and only if—it is accompanied by a clear direction and real budgetary levers to reform, simplify, and support these businesses, which represent 96% of the French economic fabric."

The latest SDI barometer already highlights an alarming situation (here). Faced with this reality, the SDI is calling on the new minister to prioritize small businesses, retailers, and artisans: the first victims of the economic crisis and persistent political instability.

Regarding Serge Papin, the SDI has no preconceived ideas. "He's a hands-on man, which is rather rare in politics. But we'll judge him on the facts: everything will depend on his ability to listen, understand, and translate our proposals into action, particularly during our initial discussions," emphasizes Marc Sanchez.

The SDI remains concerned, however, about the precariousness of this ministry, in a context of chronic political instability. "It is regrettable that such a strategic portfolio only became a priority at the end of a five-year term that has ultimately been very disappointing, while warning signs have been accumulating for months, even years," the union insists.

Finally, the SDI calls for avoiding any "cosmetic" ministry, without resources or vision, which would only add disappointment to distrust. "We need a ministry of action, not a ministry of proclamation."

"We are waiting for action," Sophie Binet (CGT) told AFP.

The CGT (General Confederation of Trade Unions) will judge the new government on its "actions" and primarily on a possible suspension of pension reform, its secretary general Sophie Binet told AFP on Monday.

There is a "very strong expectation of a break, with strong and immediate actions, particularly regarding pension reform," explained the leader of France's second-largest union on the eve of Sébastien Lecornu's general policy statement.

"Will the Prime Minister finally free himself from the President of the Republic and cut the cord with the bosses? For the moment, we don't see it," she believes.

On pensions, she is concerned about "the strategy deployed from the Elysée Palace to try to get out of it with a new diversionary maneuver, namely the delay (in the timetable for implementing the reform, editor's note). This would mean confirming the 64-year-old with an application that would only be delayed by a few months, in defiance of the mobilization of millions of workers."

For the union leader, "suspension must mean blocking the reform at 62 years and 9 months and 170 quarters, an immediate blockage which then allows parliament to take its responsibilities and be able to vote on the repeal at a later stage."

Regarding the new Minister of Labor, Jean-Pierre Farandou, known for having negotiated agreements with the unions at the head of the SNCF, "the question is what his room for maneuver will be."

"What we expect is action," added the union representative.

"Is his mandate to bury the unemployment insurance reform, to find a way to lead to the repeal of the pension reform? Or will everything be decided from Bercy" based on "budgetary objectives"?, she detailed.

CFDT leader Marylise Léon, for her part, said on TF1 on Monday that Mr. Farandou's appointment was a "good signal."

Sophie Binet, however, points out that former Labor Minister Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet "initially took a position against the unemployment insurance reform and still ended up being the Labor Minister who published a framework letter to impose a reform on us." "We see that the initial profile is not enough to protect against this kind of thing," she concludes.