France’s new PM Lecornu resigns hours after forming cabinet

France was plunged deeper into political turmoil on October 6 after newly appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned just hours after unveiling his cabinet. 

Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, had announced his new cabinet on October 5 following weeks of consultations with political parties across the spectrum. The cabinet was scheduled to hold its first meeting on the afternoon of October 6, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

However, the new ministerial line-up immediately drew backlash from across the political divide, with critics calling it either too rightwing or insufficiently so. The discontent underscored the deep divisions in France’s fragmented parliament, where no group commands a majority.

Faced with mounting opposition and threats to topple his government, Lecornu tendered his resignation to Macron on the morning of October 6.

"Mr. Sebastien Lecornu has submitted the resignation of his Government to the President of the Republic, who has accepted it," the Elysee’s press office said in a statement.

His abrupt departure, described as both unexpected and unprecedented, triggered a sharp fall in French stocks and the euro amid growing uncertainty over the country’s political direction.

France’s political instability has deepened since Macron’s re-election in 2022, as the absence of a clear parliamentary majority has repeatedly hampered governance. The president’s decision to call a snap parliamentary election last year further fragmented the legislature, compounding the crisis. Lecornu, appointed only on September 9, was Macron’s fifth prime minister in two years.

By Sabina Mammadli