FRENCH Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned after just 27 days in office.
Emmanuel Macron had only appointed Lecornu less than a month ago – making him his fifth PM in the space of two years.
ReutersFrench Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned after less than a month in office[/caption]
AFPEmmanuel Macron had only appointed Lecornu on September 9[/caption]
President Macron accepted a letter of resignation this morning, the Elysee Palace said.
Lecornu served as Minister for the Armed Forces since 2022 before being asked to serve as PM on September 9.
The shock move came after Lecornu, 39, appointed his cabinet on Sunday night.
Parisian political rivals threatened to topple the PM’s already struggling government after the cabinet was approved.
Both political allies and foes of Lecornu fumed at his choices and criticised it for either being too right-wing or not right-wing enough.
It comes as extremist parties continue to put pressure on France’s governmental establishment.
President Macron has faced a political crisis since he called an ill-advised snap election last summer.
His centrist bloc lost dozens of seats amid a spike in support for the far-right.
While a left wing coalition came first in the end, no party is anywhere close a majority in the French Parliament.
Macron will now need to announce another PM in the coming weeks – his eighth since being appointed as President.
In France, Prime Ministers are directly appointed by the President and are then responsible for forming a government.
François Bayrou stepped down in September after having only been appointed the December before.
The 74-year-old voluntarily called a confidence motion in the full knowledge he was unlikely to survive in the high-pressure role.
Bayrou’s predecessor Michel Barnier – well known for his past role as the EU’s Brexit negotiator – only lasted three months before he was removed.
As Macron scrambles to appoint another ally to become his PM, Marine Le Pen and Jorgan Bardella’s National Rally – the largest party in the National Assembly with 123 seats – has called for parliament to be dissolved.
Macron himself is now also facing calls for his resignation.
Millions in France regularly take part in strikes and street marches, known as “Block Everything” protests, supported by trade unions.
Despite the fierce opposition, Macron is under no obligation to quit.
He will be forced to step down in 2027 after completing two terms of office – the maximum allowed in France.
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