French President Emmanuel Macron named Sebastien Lecornu France¡¯s new prime minister, tapping a longtime ally to pick up the mantle of trying to pass a budget through a divided parliament.

Lecornu, who served as defense minister in the previous Cabinet, will become the country¡¯s fifth prime minister in two years. The last two premiers were ousted after trying to pass budgets that would sharply reduce France¡¯s deficit, the widest in the euro area.

Lawmakers across the political spectrum have rejected a continuation of Macron¡¯s policies and have called for new legislative elections. Lecornu¡¯s minority government will need tacit support from the left or the right to pass a 2026 budget and survive a possible no-confidence motion.