France’s political turmoil deepened Monday as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned less than 24 hours after naming his cabinet and only 27 days after taking office. His departure marks the shortest prime ministerial tenure in modern French history, leaving the country with its fifth leadership collapse in under two years.
Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, blamed the resignation on an inability to build consensus in France’s deeply divided parliament. “You can’t be prime minister when the conditions simply aren’t there,” he said during his resignation speech. “Political parties keep acting as if each of them held a majority in the National Assembly.”
The immediate trigger for his departure was widespread criticism of his newly announced cabinet, which largely recycled ministers from previous governments. Even his interior minister Bruno Retailleau publicly condemned the lineup, posting that “the composition of the government does not reflect the promised break” with past approaches.
France has faced political gridlock since Macron called snap elections in July 2024, which resulted in a three-way split parliament with no party holding a majority. The National Rally (far-right), the New Popular Front (left-wing coalition), and Macron’s centrists have proven unable to work together on key issues.
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The crisis comes at a particularly difficult economic moment for France. The country’s public debt stands at approximately €3.346 trillion (around 114% of GDP), with a deficit of 5.8% – far exceeding the European Union’s 3% threshold. Lecornu’s primary task would have been steering a difficult budget through parliament to address these fiscal challenges.
Financial markets reacted swiftly to the news. The Paris CAC 40 stock index fell as much as 2.1%, and French bank stocks tumbled. Bond yields on French government debt reached their highest level in 10 years, reflecting investor concerns about political stability.
Macron now faces limited options. He could appoint another prime minister, though this would be his sixth attempt to form a government since 2022. Alternatively, he might dissolve parliament again for fresh elections, which polling suggests could strengthen the far-right National Rally. His final option would be to resign himself, though he has repeatedly ruled this out.
Opposition leaders have already taken strong positions. Marine Le Pen of the National Rally called for parliament to be dissolved, saying “The only wise decision is to return to the polls.” Jean-Luc Mélenchon from the far-left France Unbowed party also called for Macron to step down.
One government minister captured the mood of frustration. Newly reappointed ecology minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher wrote simply on social media: “I despair of this circus.”
As ministers appointed just yesterday now serve in a caretaker capacity, France faces the real possibility of failing to pass a budget, further damaging its economic credibility and deepening what has become the country’s most severe political crisis in decades.
