France’s prime minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned less than a month after being appointed and just 12 hours after presenting his new government. French president Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation this morning, with the Élysée Palace confirming the decision in a short statement.
But what led to the resignation and what happens now?
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France’s prime minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned less than a month after being appointed and just 12 hours after presenting his new government. President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation this morning, with the Élysée Palace confirming the decision in a short statement. But what led to the resignation and what happens now?
Lecornu was appointed on the 9th of September to replace François Bayrou, who was removed following controversy over proposed budget cuts. Lecornu became the seventh prime minister under Macron and was tasked with overcoming deep divisions in parliament.
His resignation came only hours after unveiling a cabinet that was largely unchanged from the previous government. The line-up faced immediate criticism from across the political spectrum, including from members of Macron’s own camp.
Lecornu said that “the conditions were no longer met” for him to exercise his duties, citing three reasons: that political parties ignored what he called “a profound rupture” marked by his decision not to use Article 49.3 of the Constitution, that opposition parties continued to behave as though they each held an absolute majority, and that “partisan appetites,” linked to the upcoming presidential election, had made it impossible to govern.
Following the resignation announcement, the Paris stock exchange fell by more than two percent, with banks such as BNP Paribas and Crédit Agricole among the hardest hit , while the euro declined slightly against the dollar.
Now, Lecornu’s departure deepens a political crisis that began more than a year ago when Emmanuel Macron called snap parliamentary elections.
Those elections produced a highly fragmented National Assembly, with no group able to secure an absolute majority.
Since then, successive governments have struggled to pass legislation. The use of Article 49.3, a constitutional tool that allows laws to pass without a vote, sparked widespread criticism and protests. Lecornu’s decision to avoid using it was meant to mark a shift toward dialogue and compromise.
However, his attempt to form a broad-based cabinet failed. The inclusion of familiar figures such as Bruno Le Maire, reappointed to the defence ministry, and Gérald Darmanin, who remained at justice, was widely interpreted as a sign of continuity rather than renewal.
Within hours of the announcement, both far-right and far-left leaders called for the dissolution of the National Assembly. Jordan Bardella of the National Rally said “stability can only be restored through a return to the polls,” while Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed called for “immediate consideration” of a motion to remove the president.
The result is renewed uncertainty at a crucial time. France’s next budget must be agreed in the coming weeks, and the absence of a stable government could delay fiscal negotiations and economic planning.
So what now?
President Emmanuel Macron hasn’t reacted publicly at least not while I’m recording this episode, but the story is developing so we will hear from him soon. Technically he must appoint a new prime minister, his eighth since taking office. We don’t know when that would happen or who it could be either.
We do know that Macron faces increasing pressure from opposition parties demanding new parliamentary elections. The National Rally, France Unbowed, and parts of the conservative Republicans have all called for a return to the polls.
However, analysts say Macron is unlikely to dissolve parliament right now, as another election could reproduce the same stalemate or strengthen the far right. For now, the outgoing ministers remain in place to handle day-to-day affairs until a new government is formed.
Evi Kiorri is a Brussels-based journalist, multimedia producer, and podcaster with deep experience in European affairs.
Evi Kiorri is a Brussels-based journalist, multimedia producer, and podcaster with deep experience in European affairs.