Paris (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – France’s new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, resigned on Monday just 14 hours after forming his new cabinet, as both allies and opponents threatened to oust his government, according to the Élysée palace.
Lecornu, a former defense minister and long-standing ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, resigned just hours after announcing a new cabinet on Sunday.
Lecornu submitted 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.
Lecornu was scheduled to deliver a speech to the National Assembly on Tuesday, outlining his government’s agenda. After weeks of consultations with political parties across the board, Lecornu appointed his ministers on Sunday. The new cabinet, with most high-profile figures staying in their positions, was scheduled to hold its first meeting on Monday.
What political tensions led to Lecornu’s government’s collapse?
As reported, the new cabinet lineup has angered both opponents and allies, who see it as either too right-wing or not right-wing enough, prompting questions about its durability amid France’s ongoing political crisis and a fragmented parliament without a clear majority.
Since Macron’s re-election in 2022, French politics has grown more unstable due to the absence of any party or group holding a majority in parliament. Last year’s decision by Macron to hold a snap parliamentary election further intensified the crisis by leading to an even more divided parliament.
How did opposition parties react to the resignation?
Following Mr Lecornu’s resignation, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of the far-left France Unbowed, announced that his party is demanding Mr Macron’s impeachment. Meanwhile, the far-right National Rally quickly called on Mr Macron to hold a new snap election.
“There can be no return to stability without a return to the polls and the dissolution of the national assembly,”
National Rally leader Jordan Bardella stated
How many prime ministers has Macron replaced in two years?
Lecornu, who was only appointed last month, was appointed as the seventh prime minister of Macron’s current mandate, and the fifth within just two years.
The earlier prime ministers who stepped down during this time under Macron, Lecornu’s immediate predecessor, were François Bayrou, who was removed after a standoff about France’s austerity budget in a divided parliament. Michel Barnier was also briefly in place prior to Bayrou and resigned after the government’s budget mess and political stalemate.
