French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned Monday after just 27 days in office, becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of France’s Fifth Republic. President Emmanuel Macron accepted his resignation, the presidency said.
In a statement, Lecornu acknowledged difficulties in forming his government, saying the conditions “were no longer met” for him to continue. “One must always put one’s country before one’s party,” he said, citing partisan tensions over his cabinet choices.
Lecornu said he had attempted to build consensus by consulting political parties and trade unions before announcing his cabinet, and pledged not to invoke constitutional powers to bypass parliament on budget legislation. However, he admitted the effort failed to gain broader support.
His resignation came one day after unveiling a cabinet nearly identical to its predecessor, drawing criticism from across the political spectrum. French media reported the government was likely to face a censure motion in parliament.
The news unsettled financial markets, with the CAC 40 index opening 2% lower Monday.
Lecornu’s departure prompted emergency meetings among political leaders. Marine Le Pen, head of the far-right National Rally party, renewed calls for the dissolution of parliament.