French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigns after less than a month|Courtesy

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, just 26 days after his appointment, and less than 24 hours after unveiling his cabinet.

The Elysée Palace confirmed the resignation Monday, following an hour-long meeting between Lecornu and President Emmanuel Macron.

Lecornu’s abrupt departure comes amid mounting political pressure and criticism over the composition of his cabinet, which opposition parties said was nearly identical to that of former Prime Minister François Bayrou.

Lecornu had been appointed on 10 September after Bayrou’s government collapsed due to repeated failures to pass legislation in a deeply divided National Assembly.

Since the announcement of the new cabinet on Sunday, parties from across the political spectrum had threatened to vote it down, accusing Macron and Lecornu of ignoring the country’s demand for change.

Lecornu, a close Macron ally and former armed forces minister, became France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years.

French politics has remained unstable since the July 2024 snap elections, which resulted in a hung parliament. With no single bloc able to command a majority, successive governments have struggled to pass legislation — including the national budget.

The latest resignation has intensified calls for new elections. Some opposition leaders are now demanding that Macron himself step down, though the president has consistently said he will serve out his term, which ends in 2027.

It remains unclear who Macron will appoint next as prime minister, or whether early legislative elections will be called in an attempt to break the deadlock.