French Government Falls Hours After Appointment, Prime Minister Resigns

(Patria) - New French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned today just hours after appointing his new cabinet, as allies and the opposition threatened to bring down his government.

His resignation is unexpected and unprecedented, marking another major deepening of the French political crisis. French stocks plummeted, as did the euro, following the news of the resignation.

Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, appointed his ministers yesterday, and the cabinet was scheduled to hold its first meeting this afternoon.

However, the new cabinet composition angered both opponents and allies, raising questions about how long it could last, at a time when France is already deep in political crisis, without a majority in a fragmented parliament.

Lecornu submitted his resignation to Macron this morning.

"Mr. Sebastien Lecornu has submitted the resignation of his government to the President of the Republic, who has accepted it," the Élysée Palace press office announced.

French politics has become increasingly unstable since Macron's re-election in 2022 due to the lack of any party or group having a parliamentary majority.

Macron's decision to call early parliamentary elections last year deepened the crisis by creating an even more fragmented parliament. Lecornu, who was only appointed last month, was Macron's fifth prime minister in two years.