Paris: In a dramatic turn of events, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has submitted his resignation only hours after unveiling his new cabinet, sources say. The resignation was accepted by President Emmanuel Macron.
Lecornu, a former defence minister and close ally of Macron, was appointed prime minister last month. On Sunday, after weeks of consultations with various political parties, Lecornu announced his new ministerial line-up. The cabinet was scheduled to convene for its first meeting on Monday.
However, the largely unchanged nature of Macron’s cabinet drew severe backlash — both from opposition parties and even from factions within Macron’s own support bloc. Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party (which holds a potential swing vote in parliament), sharply criticised the move, saying that “Macron’s group is imploding” and that the new government had “no legitimacy left.” He added that France is facing an “unprecedented political crisis.”
This resignation adds to France’s mounting political instability. Lecornu follows two immediate predecessors — François Bayrou and Michel Barnier — who were also forced out by the legislative chamber in conflicts over spending plans.
Economically, France is under pressure: its public debt has topped historic highs, and its debt-to-GDP ratio now ranks as the third highest in the European Union — behind only Greece and Italy.
At present, it is unclear who will take over as the next prime minister and whether Macron plans to reshuffle the cabinet again or seek a fresh mandate in parliament.