Emmanuel Macron has selected Amélie de Montchalin, current minister for public action and accounts, to succeed Pierre Moscovici at the helm of the Cour des comptes. Her appointment is set to be formalized on Wednesday in the council of ministers, making her the first woman to lead this bicentennial institution. She will assume the role amid France's ongoing budgetary challenges.
Pierre Moscovici stepped down as president of the Cour des comptes on January 1 to join the European Court of Auditors, leaving the institution without a leader since the start of the year. Emmanuel Macron has designated Amélie de Montchalin, aged 40, as his successor, an announcement confirmed by Le Monde and Le Figaro on February 9, 2026. The appointment will be formalized at the following Wednesday's council of ministers, with her taking office on February 22.
A loyal Macron supporter, Amélie de Montchalin entered politics in 2017 as a deputy for Essonne shortly after Macron's election. She held several ministerial roles: secretary of state for European affairs in 2019, minister for the transformation and public service in 2020, and minister for ecological transition in 2022, before losing her legislative seat to Jérôme Guedj. A graduate of HEC and Harvard, she worked at BNP Paribas and Axa, and served as France's representative to the OECD under Macron.
Recalled to government after the dissolution of the National Assembly, she became minister for public action and accounts under François Bayrou, retaining the post with Sébastien Lecornu at Matignon. She led budget negotiations, resulting in the adoption of the social security budget and the 2026 finance bill via Article 49.3 of the Constitution, projecting a 5% GDP deficit. "This imperfect text is useful for the French, as it allows us to exit the climate of uncertainty," she stated. She aims to return to under 3% deficit by 2029 to comply with EU rules.
At 40, she inherits an institution that produces around 200 reports annually to advocate for budgetary consolidation, amid political instability and public finance slippage. Her irrevocable mandate is capped at age 68.
