France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, barely 14 hours after appointing his new cabinet, after allies and foes alike threatened to topple his government, driving French stocks and the euro sharply lower.
His swift resignation was unexpected and unprecedented and marked another major deepening of France's political crisis.
The far-right National Rally immediately urged President Emmanuel Macron to call a snap parliamentary election.
After weeks of consultations with political parties across the board, Lecornu, a close ally of Macron, had appointed his ministers on Sunday and they had been set to hold their first meeting on Monday afternoon.
But the new cabinet line-up had angered opponents and allies alike, who either found it too right-wing or not sufficiently so, raising questions on how long it could last, at a time when France is already mired deep in political crisis, with no group holding a majority in a fragmented parliament.
Lecornu handed his resignation to Macron on Monday morning.
"Mr. Sebastien Lecornu has submitted the resignation of his Government to the President of the Republic, who has accepted it," the Elysee's press office said.
French politics has become increasingly unstable since Macron's re-election in 2022 for want of any party or grouping holding a parliamentary majority.
Macron's decision to call a snap parliamentary election last year deepened the crisis by producing an even more fragmented parliament. Lecornu, who was only appointed last month, was Macron's fifth prime minister in two years.
"There can be no return to stability without a return to the polls and the dissolution of the National Assembly," National Rally leader Jordan Bardella said after Lecornu resigned.
Paris' CAC 40 dropped 1.5% as Lecornu resigned, making it the worst-performing index in Europe, as banking shares came under heavy fire, leaving BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and Credit Agricole down 4% to 5%.
The euro EUR=EBS slid 0.7% on the day to $1.1665.
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has acquired his artificial intelligence firm xAI, as the billionaire moves to bring more of his technology busine...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that talks with Iran are ongoing, while also saying U.S. lawmakers are close to resolving a partial governm...
Ukraine’s negotiating team is heading to the United Arab Emirates for a second round of trilateral peace talks with Russia and the U.S., President V...
Nigeria has filed 57 terrorism-related charges against nine men accused of planning and executing a June 2025 attack in Benue state that killed about ...
France’s 2026 state budget has been adopted by parliament after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence motions, ending months o...
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has acquired his artificial intelligence firm xAI, as the billionaire moves to bring more of his technology businesses under one structure.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that talks with Iran are ongoing, while also saying U.S. lawmakers are close to resolving a partial government shutdown.
Ukraine’s negotiating team is heading to the United Arab Emirates for a second round of trilateral peace talks with Russia and the U.S., President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday.
France’s 2026 state budget has been adopted by parliament after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence motions, ending months of political stalemate that had paralysed fiscal decision-making.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
A daylight robbery at a jewellery shop in Richmond, one of London’s most affluent and traditionally quiet districts, has heightened security concerns among residents and local businesses.
Ukraine is creating a white list for Starlink terminals to ensure only verified devices stay active, after officials warned that Russian forces were attempting to use the network during the Ukraine conflict.
A drone incident at a military base in Przasnysz has triggered a police inquiry in Poland as security agencies across Europe confront a growing number of unauthorised devices entering restricted airspace.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that talks with Iran are ongoing, while also saying U.S. lawmakers are close to resolving a partial government shutdown.
Ukraine’s negotiating team is heading to the United Arab Emirates for a second round of trilateral peace talks with Russia and the U.S., President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday.
Nigeria has filed 57 terrorism-related charges against nine men accused of planning and executing a June 2025 attack in Benue state that killed about 150 people.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment