France’s new prime minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned less than 24 hours after naming his government and after less than a month in office, plunging the country into a deep political crisis.
The French presidency said in a statement on Monday that President Emmanuel Macron has accepted his resignation. Lecornu had replaced his predecessor François Bayrou to become France’s fourth prime minister in barely a year.
A faithful ally of Macron, Lecornu said conditions were no longer met to remain in office after failing to build a consensus.
It would take little for it to work," Lecornu said in his resignation speech. "By being more selfless for many, by knowing how to show humility. One must always put one’s country before one’s party.”
Macron's opponents immediately tried to capitalize on the shocking resignation, with the far-right National Rally calling on him to either call for new snap elections or resign.
According to the far-right leader Marine Le Pen, we have reached the end of the road said. “There is no other solution. The only wise course of action in these circumstances is to return to the polls.”
On the far left, France Unbowed also asked for Macron’s departure, while voices on the left called for the revival of a coalition made up of leftists, socialists, greens and communists.
Ministers appointed just the previous night found themselves in the bizarre situation of becoming caretaker ministers.
French politics have been in disarray since Macron called snap elections last year that produced a deeply fragmented legislature. Far-right and left-wing lawmakers hold over 320 seats at the National Assembly, while the centrists and allied conservatives hold 210.
Seeking consensus at the National Assembly, Lecornu consulted with all political forces and trade unions before forming his Cabinet.
He also vowed that he would not employ a special constitutional power his predecessors had used to force budgets through Parliament without a vote and would instead seek compromise with lawmakers from the left and the right.
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