French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, just hours after unveiling his new cabinet, deepening the country’s ongoing political crisis.
Lecornu, appointed last month after serving as Defence Minister, faced mounting pressure following the release of a largely unchanged cabinet on Sunday, a move that drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum.
He had been tasked with the difficult mission of passing a contentious austerity budget through a bitterly divided National Assembly. His two immediate predecessors, François Bayrou and Michel Barnier, were also forced out after failing to gain legislative support for the same spending plan.
France’s public debt hit a record high last week, with a debt-to-GDP ratio now the third highest in the European Union, trailing only Greece and Italy. The ratio is nearing double the 60 percent ceiling permitted under EU rules.
For three consecutive years, previous French governments bypassed parliament to pass annual budgets using constitutional provisions, a practice widely condemned by the opposition. Lecornu, however, had pledged to restore parliamentary voting on the 2026 budget.
France has been politically gridlocked since Macron’s decision to call snap parliamentary elections mid-2024 backfired, stripping his centrist alliance of its majority in the National Assembly.
Lecornu’s resignation marks another setback for Macron, who is now faced with the challenge of appointing a new prime minister capable of navigating an increasingly fragmented legislature.
AFP
