The newly appointed Prime Minister of France, Sébastien Lecornu, alongside his government, has resigned just a few hours after unveiling his cabinet, marking this as the shortest government tenure in contemporary French history and exacerbating the ongoing political turmoil in the country. The unexpected resignation came after both allies and opponents threatened to dismantle the government, leading Lecornu to declare that he could not effectively perform his role.
In explaining his inability to progress and compromise with rival parties, Lecornu pointed to what he described as the stubbornness of opposing politicians who rigidly adhered to their agendas, while those within the minority coalition he leads remained focused on their presidential aspirations. Opposition parties promptly called for President Emmanuel Macron to resign or initiate early parliamentary elections, asserting there is no alternative solution to the crisis.
Lecornu, who became Macron’s fifth Prime Minister in two years, remained in office for a mere 27 days, with his government lasting only 14 hours. This situation highlights the rifts within the French parliament, as the second-largest economy in the Eurozone struggles to stabilize its financial situation. Footage aired by BFMTV showed Macron walking along the Seine River, appearing isolated, while Le Monde headlined: “Emmanuel Macron Alone in the Face of the Crisis.”
Michel Barnier, a former Prime Minister who was ousted by the opposition in the National Assembly in December 2024, after just three months in power, emphasized the need for calm and consideration for the French people. In a similar predicament, François Bayrou, who headed the government from December 2024 to September 2025, also faced dismissal from parliament following his proposal for austerity measures aimed at reducing expenditures by €44 billion.
Rifts within Lecornu’s coalition began to emerge almost immediately after the Élysée Palace announced his cabinet composition following three weeks of deliberation. Bruno Retailleau, the leader of the right-wing Republicans who retained the interior ministry, stated on X that the government lineup did not reflect the promised radical change and called for a meeting of his party’s bodies.
According to multiple sources, a significant issue was the surprising return of Bruno Le Maire to government as Minister of the Armed Forces, after previously serving as Minister of Economy from 2017 to 2024. As a dissident from the Republicans, he symbolizes the budgetary excesses recorded in recent years under Macron’s administrations.
Other problems likely stem from the substantial representation of Macron’s Renaissance party, which secured ten ministries compared to four for the Republicans. Both the far-right and leftwing opposition, particularly the radical left party France Unbowed, criticized the fact that 12 out of the 18 members of the government were from the previous administration.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right, stated that dissolving parliament is imperative and suggested that Macron’s resignation is the only wise course of action. Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical left, urged the National Assembly to promptly consider a motion to impeach Macron, which was signed by deputies from his party, France Unbowed, along with members from other factions.