PARIS: France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned on Monday morning, 26 days after his appointment, citing the failure of political parties to reach compromises.

The Elysée Palace confirmed the resignation following Lecornu’s one-hour meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.

Lecornu, appointed after François Bayrou’s government collapsed, became France’s fifth prime minister in under two years.

He sharply criticised the “partisan appetites” of political factions, saying parties acted “as if they had an absolute majority” and refused compromise.

His cabinet faced fierce criticism in the National Assembly, with several parties threatening to vote it down and demanding early elections.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen called for elections, criticizing Macron’s handling of the country.

Macron now faces three options: appoint another prime minister, dissolve the National Assembly, or resign.

Lecornu, considered a loyalist and last-resort candidate, failed to form a government.

Appointing a Socialist is possible but unstable, making new legislative elections likely.

Analysts predict gains for Le Pen’s far-right bloc and losses for Macron’s centrist coalition.

French politics has been unstable since July 2024 after snap parliamentary elections produced a hung parliament.

Previous prime ministers Michel Barnier and François Bayrou also failed within months due to lack of parliamentary support.

France’s deficit reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024, and public debt hit 114% of GDP, the third highest in the eurozone.

Following Lecornu’s resignation, Paris stocks fell sharply.