Sebastien Lecornu Resigns as French PM After 27 Days, Deepening Political Crisis in Macron’s Government

In a dramatic turn of events, French Premier Sebastien Lecornu has resigned just 27 days into office, one of the shortest tenures in contemporary French history. His resignation came hours after he had unveiled a new cabinet that was heavily criticized by allies and opposition parties as being identical to the previous government led by François Bayrou.

President Emmanuel Macron has accepted the resignation of Lecornu following a brief meeting at the Élysée Palace. The move has increased the current political instability in France, with Macron now facing growing pressure from various groups within the National Assembly. The opponents argue that Lecornu's cabinet was not representative of political diversity to provide parliamentary confidence, resulting in threats of a confidence vote.

The surprise resignation elicited quick market reactions, with French stocks and bonds crashing and the euro dropping. Macron's administration has had five prime ministers in two years, and each one has attempted to steer a divided parliament and unpopular austerity policy to curb France's record debt, which stands at more than €3 trillion.

Calls for Macron himself to resign are mounting, with opposition leaders citing repeated government instability and shattered budget negotiations. With France bracing for further political upheaval, the search for a new prime minister is underway amid concern at rising economic and institutional instability.