Unexpected PM Resignation Throws France into Deeper Political Uncertainty
France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, just hours after appointing his new cabinet, following threats to topple his government.
His resignation was unexpected and unprecedented and marked another major deepening of France’s political crisis. French stocks dropped sharply, as did the euro, on news of the resignation.
After weeks of consultations with political parties across the board, Lecornu on Sunday appointed his ministers, and the cabinet had been set to hold its first meeting on Monday afternoon.
But the new cabinet line-up had angered opponents and allies alike, who either found it too right-wing or not enough, raising questions on how long it could last, at a time when France is already mired deep in political crisis, with no group holding a majority in a fragmented parliament.
Lecornu handed his resignation to Macron on Monday morning.
“Mr. Sebastien Lecornu has submitted the resignation of his Government to the President of the Republic, who has accepted it,” the Elysee’s press office said.
French politics has become increasingly unstable since Macron’s re-election in 2022, and his decision to call a snap parliamentary election last year deepened the crisis by producing an even more fragmented parliament. Lecornu, who was only appointed last month, was Macron’s fifth prime minister in just two years.
