Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, just 26 days after assuming office, putting France into yet another political crisis.
Just one day after announcing his cabinet, Lecornu resigned, becoming the third French prime minister to do so since December. After François Bayrou's government fell when parliament rejected his budget proposal, he was appointed last month.
President Emmanuel Macron requested that Lecornu submit a plan for "stability for the country" by Wednesday night after he resigned. The sudden action came after a turbulent day in which worries about political unpredictability caused French markets to plummet.
Lecornu’s newly announced cabinet faced immediate criticism from nearly all parties in the National Assembly, which threatened to reject it. The appointment of former finance minister Bruno Le Maire as defense minister particularly fueled tensions. Le Maire later withdrew his name in an attempt to ease the crisis.
In a brief statement outside the prime minister’s residence, Lecornu blamed “partisan appetites” and political divisions for his decision, saying parties were unwilling to compromise. “I was ready for dialogue, but all sides acted as if they had absolute majorities,” he said.
President Macron now faces tough choices—either appointing another prime minister, dissolving the National Assembly to call for new elections, or, though least likely, stepping down himself.
France’s politics have remained unstable since July 2024, when Macron’s party lost its majority in snap elections, leading to a fragmented parliament and repeated government collapses.
Lecornu, a former armed forces minister, was France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years.
