France was thrown into fresh political uncertainty on Monday following the resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, barely a month after his appointment.
His resignation was first reported by French broadcaster BFM TV, citing unidentified government sources.
Lecornu, who was appointed on September 9, 2025, by President Emmanuel Macron, became the French leader’s seventh prime minister in eight years, and one of the shortest-serving in modern French history.
His abrupt exit comes just a day after Macron unveiled a new cabinet lineup that was already facing backlash across the political spectrum.
According to reports, Lecornu’s resignation followed mounting tensions within Macron’s centrist alliance and growing resistance in parliament over the government’s proposed 2026 austerity budget.
The prime minister’s key task had been to rally cross-party support for the controversial fiscal plan in a deeply fractured National Assembly, but sources say his efforts were frustrated by entrenched opposition blocs and discontent even within the ruling coalition.
Macron’s office had announced the new cabinet on Sunday, October 5, presenting what the Élysée Palace described as a team of “continuity and competence.”
However, critics quickly dismissed the reshuffle as cosmetic, accusing the president of ignoring public frustration over economic stagnation, social inequality, and rising far-right influence.
The new government lineup retained much of Macron’s old guard. Bruno Le Maire, who had served as Economy Minister since 2017, was reassigned to the Defence Ministry.
Roland Lescure, a former industry minister, was appointed as the new Economy Minister, tasked with steering through a painful budget consolidation program expected to trigger public protests.
Despite the president’s attempt to project confidence, Lecornu’s resignation on Monday signaled deeper instability at the heart of Macron’s administration.
Political observers say the abrupt exit could further weaken Macron’s already fragile hold over parliament, where he lacks an absolute majority.
“The government was hanging by a thread,” one political analyst told Le Monde.
“Lecornu’s resignation exposes how fractured Macron’s coalition has become. France is effectively ungovernable under the current balance of power.”
