French Premier, Lecornu resigns barely a month after appointment
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned just weeks after assuming office amid ongoing political turmoil and hours after unveiling a new cabinet further intensifying France’s long-standing political crisis.
The French presidency announced on Monday that President Emmanuel Macron accepted Lecornu’s resignation. Lecornu’s appointment nearly a month ago was met with expectations of stability but he faced mounting pressure in recent weeks as he struggled to pass a national budget through France’s divided parliament amidst a worsening debt crisis.
Lecornu named his ministers on Sunday evening promising a break from the policies of his unpopular predecessor, Francois Bayrou. However, just hours after announcing the new cabinet, Lecornu stepped down making his government one of the shortest-lived in French history. The cabinet was scheduled to hold its first meeting on Monday afternoon but Lecornu’s resignation overshadowed the event.
Sources report that Lecornu’s decision was driven by frustration with political deadlock. “I was ready to compromise but each political party wanted the other to adopt its entire programme,” Lecornu said outside the Prime Minister’s Office.
The resignation has sparked widespread political fallout. France’s parliament has been sharply divided between far-right and far-left blocs since President Macron called for snap elections in 2024. Lecornu’s departure has triggered opposition calls for Macron to resign and for new elections to be held.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally and the largest party in parliament dismissed Lecornu’s cabinet as “pathetic” and called for a return to the polls, stating, “The only wise decision is to return to the polls.” Her party colleague, Jordan Bardella, echoed the sentiment, asserting that “National Rally will be ready to assume its responsibilities.”
On the far-left, Jean-Luc Melenchon of France Unbowed urged President Macron to step down while François-Xavier Bellamy, leader of the smaller right-wing Republicans party which collaborated with Macron’s government expressed confidence that his party has “nothing to fear from a dissolution of parliament.”
Financial markets reacted negatively to the political uncertainty with the CAC 40 index dropping more than 2 percent following Lecornu’s resignation. The development raises concerns over France’s ability to pass a budget and address its economic challenges amid ongoing political instability.
