In brief
Sébastien Lecornu has resigned as France's Prime Minister just 26 days after his appointment, following criticism over his cabinet's continuity and a call for early parliamentary elections. His resignation exacerbates the political instability in France, which has faced challenges since a hung parliament led to difficulties in passing legislation.
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, less than a day after his cabinet was unveiled.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on Monday morning.
The shock move comes only 26 days after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Parties across the board in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was largely unchanged from Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Several parties are now clamouring for early elections, with some calling for Macron to resign too - although he has always said he will not stand down before his term ends in 2027.
Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or resignation, said Sébastien Chenu, one of leading figures of the far right National Rally (RN).
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a Macron loyalist - was France's fifth prime minister in under two years.
French politics has been highly unstable since July 2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to garner the necessary support to pass any bills.
Bayrou's government was voted down in September after parliament refused to back his austerity budget, which aimed to slash government spending by €44bn ($51bn; £38bn).
France's deficit reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024, and its national debt is 114% of GDP, the third highest public debt in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday morning.
