French PM Sébastien Resigns in Just 27 Days; Macron to Choose New PM

On October 6, Sébastien Lecornu resigned from the post of Prime Minister. He had assumed office on September 9. On October 5, he announced his cabinet. However, about 12 hours later, he submitted his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron.

Lecornu is 39 years old and considered a close ally of President Macron. He became the fifth Prime Minister since Macron’s re-election in 2022 and the third after the parliament was dissolved last year. The resignation is believed to be due to dissatisfaction over the formation of his new cabinet.

Controversy started as soon as the new government was formed. Of the 18-member cabinet Lecornu created, 12 ministers were from the previous government led by former Prime Minister François Bayrou. The situation escalated when Bruno Le Maire, Macron’s economy minister for seven years, was appointed as defense minister. This caused dissatisfaction among opposition and allies alike, as many felt there was no real ‘change’.