France’s Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned just hours after presenting his new cabinet.
The Elysée Palace confirmed the development on Monday following a one-hour meeting between Lecornu and President Emmanuel Macron.
Lecornu, who assumed office less than a month ago after the resignation of François Bayrou, faced mounting criticism over his cabinet choices.
Opposition parties in the National Assembly rejected the lineup, describing it as a continuation of Bayrou’s administration and threatening to block its approval.
“The choice to keep this government unchanged, seasoned with the man who bankrupted France, is pathetic,” far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X, referring to the return of former Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire as defence chief.
Green Party leader Marine Tondelier said Macron’s allies had taken their “contempt for democracy to a new level,” while Socialist leader Boris Vallaud accused the government of “plunging the country deeper into chaos every day.”
READ ALSO: Macron Names Lecornu as France’s New Prime Minister
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he would convene a strategic committee of the Republicans to assess the political fallout, adding that the new Cabinet “does not reflect the promised break.”
A short-lived Cabinet
Under Lecornu’s proposed government, Roland Lescure, a member of Macron’s Renaissance party, was tapped as finance minister, while Bruno Le Maire returned to government as defence minister — a move seen as symbolic of Macron’s unwillingness to shift direction.
Other appointments included Eric Woerth as minister for territorial organisation, Naima Moutchou for transformation and digital affairs, Mathieu Lefevre for parliamentary relations, and Marina Ferrari for sports and youth.
Key figures such as Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, and Education Minister Elisabeth Borne retained their posts.
Lecornu’s resignation marks yet another setback for Macron, whose presidency has been plagued by Cabinet instability and widening political polarisation amid rising inflation and public discontent over austerity measures.
Sebastien Lecornu, a record-setting prime minister
Lecornu’s resignation set several political records in France’s modern history. He became the shortest-serving prime minister, lasting only 27 days in office, and oversaw the longest period without a government, at 26 days.
His administration was also the shortest-lived government, collapsing just 12 hours after its formation.
Lecornu is the only French prime minister never to have delivered a general policy statement before parliament.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
