Breaking: French Prime Minister Lecornu Quits Less Than a Month After Appointment

France Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, barely weeks into his tenure and hours after unveiling his cabinet.

The Élysée Palace confirmed that President Emmanuel Macron accepted Lecornu’s resignation following their morning meeting.

Lecornu, who had been appointed in early September to succeed François Bayrou, faced immediate backlash over his ministerial appointments particularly the controversial reassignment of Bruno Le Maire from finance to defense.

His announced cabinet largely mirrored that of his predecessor, which spurred criticism across political parties and sparked threats of no-confidence motions.

The timing of his resignation is especially striking: reports suggest the government lasted only about 14 hours after the cabinet was revealed before collapsing under internal pressure.

Markets reacted sharply to the news France’s CAC 40 index dropped, and the euro slid amid fears of continued instability in the country’s fragmented Parliament.

Lecornu’s brief stint makes him one of the shortest-serving prime ministers under France’s Fifth Republic.

Moving forward, the challenge now lies with Macron to either appoint yet another prime minister or consider dissolving the National Assembly for fresh elections amid an increasingly volatile political climate.

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