French Prime Minister resigns after less than a month

France’s new Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, resigned Monday, barely two weeks into his tenure and just a day after unveiling his government. The French presidency confirmed that President Emmanuel Macron has accepted Lecornu’s resignation.

Lecornu’s cabinet choices sparked criticism across the political spectrum. Observers were particularly surprised by his decision to reassign former Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire to the Defense Ministry. Many other key posts remained unchanged from the previous administration: Bruno Retailleau continues as Interior Minister overseeing policing and internal security, Jean-Noël Barrot remains Foreign Minister, and Gérald Darmanin retains the Justice portfolio.

In a bid to foster consensus in the deeply fractured National Assembly, Lecornu had signaled that he would refrain from using the special constitutional powers employed by his predecessors to push a budget through parliament without a vote. Instead, he aimed to negotiate a compromise with lawmakers from both left and right factions.

Political analysts are now questioning the stability of Macron’s government, as Lecornu’s sudden departure leaves the administration scrambling to find a successor capable of bridging the widening partisan divide.