France’s newly formed government collapsed within hours of taking office on Monday, plunging the nation into deeper political turmoil and rattling both markets and the euro.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, appointed less than a month ago, submitted his resignation early Monday — only hours after unveiling his cabinet, in what has become the shortest-lived administration in modern French history.
Lecornu’s abrupt exit followed mounting threats from both allies and rivals to bring down the new government. His cabinet had lasted barely 14 hours.
The far-right National Rally (RN) immediately called on President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve parliament and announce fresh elections, while the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) went further, urging Macron himself to step aside.
After weeks of political negotiations, Lecornu considered a close confidant of Macron had presented his list of ministers on Sunday.
The new lineup, however, sparked fierce backlash across the spectrum- critics on the right saw it as too centrist, while those on the left denounced it as a conservative tilt.
Facing hostility from every side and lacking a parliamentary majority, Lecornu’s team quickly found itself unsustainable. He handed his resignation to Macron on Monday morning, ending a tenure that lasted less than a day.
France has struggled with political instability since Macron’s 2022 re-election, as no party has secured a clear majority in the National Assembly.
The president’s decision to call a snap election last year further fractured the legislature, leaving governance increasingly paralyzed.
Lecornu was Macron’s fifth prime minister in two years, underscoring the growing volatility of French politics.
RN leader Jordan Bardella said Lecornu’s resignation confirmed the need for immediate elections. “There can be no return to stability without a return to the polls,” Bardella said, urging dissolution of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, Mathilde Panot of France Unbowed declared, “Lecornu resigns — three prime ministers gone in less than a year. The countdown has begun. Macron must go.”
