PARIS — For all the vitriol flying around French politics in recent months, you will struggle to find anyone with a bad word to say about the new prime minister.

Sebastien Lecornu, a career politician who served as defense minister in the previous cabinet, is seen as a cordial yet serious figure by leaders across the ideological spectrum.

A senior Socialist party official described him as a savvy politician who is a keen listener. A hard-left lawmaker lauded his sharp mind. It’s difficult to find anyone in the National Assembly who would criticize him personally, a rarity in France’s highly fractious political arena.

In private, even the far-right leader Marine Le Pen has praised President Emmanuel Macron’s latest prime minister for his professionalism and the respectful manner with whi

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