France’s New Prime Minister Resigns Weeks After Appointment and Hours After Announcing Cabinet, Deepening Political Turmoil

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, a dramatic move that came just weeks after his appointment by President Emmanuel Macron and only hours after he unveiled his new cabinet. The resignation, which was swiftly accepted by the French Presidency, marks a new low in France’s ongoing political crisis and underscores the deep instability surrounding Macron’s government.

Lecornu, appointed less than a month ago, had been under immense political strain as he tried and failed to push through a national budget in a parliament deeply divided between far-right and far-left factions. The current stalemate stems from Macron’s decision to call snap elections in 2024, which left no single party with a clear governing majority.

The immediate catalyst for Lecornu’s resignation appears to have been the fierce backlash to his cabinet lineup. Despite pledging to chart a new course and “break” with the policies of his unpopular predecessor, Lecornu included several figures from the previous government in his new team. The move infuriated both supporters and opposition lawmakers, fueling accusations of hypocrisy and incompetence.

Speaking briefly outside the prime minister’s office before stepping down, Lecornu admitted the challenge had become untenable. “I was ready to compromise, but each political party wanted the other political party to adopt its entire programme,” he said.

His departure makes Lecornu’s government one of the shortest in modern French history and intensifies pressure on President Macron, who is now facing renewed calls for a full dissolution of parliament and fresh general elections.

Far-right leader Jordan Bardella of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally condemned Lecornu’s short-lived cabinet as “pathetic,” declaring that his party “will be ready to assume its responsibilities.” On the far left, France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon echoed similar sentiments, demanding that Macron himself resign.

The political turmoil has already rattled France’s financial markets. The benchmark CAC 40 index dropped more than 2 percent after the news broke, reflecting growing investor anxiety over the country’s leadership vacuum.

As of this report, President Macron has yet to announce a successor to Sébastien Lecornu.