France in limbo as prime minister resigns after just 26 days
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned Monday, just weeks into his job, marking the shortest tenure in the history of France’s modern Fifth Republic. President Emmanuel Macron accepted his resignation, leaving a caretaker team in place as financial markets slid and opposition leaders demanded new elections amid a deepening budget crisis.
Political fallout
The departure of Macron’s fourth prime minister in just over a year immediately fueled calls for a national vote, and in some cases, for Macron himself to step down, NPR reported.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen of the National Rally said, “The only wise thing to do now is to hold elections.”
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of the left-wing France Unbowed party, accused Macron of refusing to accept the results of last year’s snap vote, which left parliament deeply divided.
France’s financial markets dropped sharply on the news. The Wall Street Journal reported the CAC 40 fell 1.4 percent Monday as investors questioned whether a budget could still pass before year-end. Government debt reached 114% of GDP earlier this year, among the eurozone’s highest.
What led to Lecornu’s exit
Lecornu, a Macron loyalist and former defense minister, stepped down after failing to secure parliamentary support for his cabinet or for his draft budget proposal.
His downfall was hastened by criticism over controversial cabinet choices, including re-appointing figures like former finance minister Bruno Le Maire as defense chief, undercutting Lecornu’s promise of a “break” from previous governments.
In a televised address Monday, Lecornu said parties refused to compromise.
“It would take little for it to work,” Lecornu said. “By being more selfless, by showing humility. One must always put one’s country before one’s party.”
What’s next
Macron must now decide whether to appoint another prime minister, dissolve the National Assembly or call new elections. Analysts quoted by BBC and the Journal said a dissolution may be unavoidable, though it risks further weakening Macron’s centrist coalition and embolden opposition forces on both the left and right.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
