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PARIS (AP) — France’s new prime minister Sébastien Lecornu stepped down less than 24 hours after announcing his government, following just under a month in his role. This has plunged the country into a significant political crisis, leaving French President Emmanuel Macron with limited choices.
The French presidency said in a statement Monday that Macron, who has been hitting record lows in opinion polls, has accepted his resignation.
Lecornu was appointed to take over from François Bayrou in September, becoming the fourth prime minister in France within a year, amid ongoing political instability.
French political dynamics have been unstable since Macron called for snap elections last year, resulting in a deeply divided legislature and a political deadlock. The far-right and left-wing lawmakers together hold over 320 seats in the National Assembly, whereas the centrists and allied conservatives have 210, leaving no party with a clear majority.
A faithful ally of Macron, Lecornu said conditions were no longer met to remain in office after failing to build a consensus.
“It would take little for it to work,” Lecornu mentioned in his resignation speech. “By being more selfless for many, by knowing how to show humility. One must always put one’s country before one’s party.”
With under two years remaining until the next presidential election, Macron’s adversaries wasted no time in trying to take advantage of the unexpected resignation. The far-right National Rally urged him to either call for new immediate parliamentary elections or step down.
“This raises a question for the President of the Republic: can he continue to resist the legislature dissolution? We have reached the end of the road,” said far-right leader Marine Le Pen. “There is no other solution. The only wise course of action in these circumstances is to return to the polls.”
On the far left, France Unbowed also asked for Macron’s departure, while voices on the left called for the revival of a coalition made up of leftists, socialists, greens and communists.
The resignation rattled investors, sending the CAC-40 index of leading French companies plunging. The index was down by nearly 2% on its Friday close.
Ministers appointed just the previous night found themselves in the bizarre situation of becoming caretaker ministers — kept in place only to manage day-to-day affairs until a new government is formed — before some of them had even been formally installed in office.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the newly reappointed minister for ecology, posted on X: “I despair of this circus.”
Lecornu’s choice of ministers has been criticized across the political spectrum, particularly his decision to bring back former Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire to serve at the defense ministry, with critics saying that under his watch France’s public deficit soared.
Lecornu’s main task would have been to pass a budget as France is faced with a massive debt crisis. At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France’s public debt stood at $3.9 trillion, or 114% of GDP. Debt servicing remains a major budget item, accounting for around 7% of state spending.
Other key positions remained largely unchanged from the previous cabinet, with conservative Bruno Retailleau staying on as interior minister in charge of policing and internal security, Jean-Noël Barrot remaining as foreign minister and Gérald Darmanin keeping the justice ministry.
Retailleau, the head of the conservative Republicans party, said he did not feel responsible for Lecornu’s fall despite lashing out at the composition of the new government. Retailleau blamed Lecornu for not letting him know Le Maire would be part of the government. “It’s a matter of trust,” he told TF1 broadcaster. “You promise a break and end up with returning horses. This government embodied all the conditions to be censured.”
Seeking consensus at the National Assembly, Lecornu consulted with all political forces and trade unions before forming his Cabinet. He also vowed that he would not employ a special constitutional power his predecessors had used to force budgets through Parliament without a vote and would instead seek compromise with lawmakers from the left and the right.
Originally Published: October 6, 2025 at 8:39 AM EDT
