Just four days after stepping down, the prime minister returns as France faces rising debt and economic strain
French President Emmanuel Macron has reinstated Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister, just four days after accepting his resignation from the same role.
Lecornu had stepped down on Monday, less than a month after first taking office. According to a statement from the Elysee Palace on Friday, he will now be responsible for assembling a new government. The decision marks an unexpected turn after several days of political negotiations aimed at resolving France’s ongoing parliamentary deadlock.
“I accept – out of duty – the mission entrusted to me by the President of the Republic to do everything possible to provide France with a budget by the end of the year and to address the daily life issues of our fellow citizens,” Lecornu wrote on X.
“We must put an end to this political crisis that exasperates the French people and to this instability that is harmful to France’s image and its interests,” he added.
Appointed just a month ago, Lecornu has faced growing pressure in recent weeks as he grappled with pushing a budget through France’s deeply divided Parliament while contending with a worsening debt crisis.
Lecornu stepped down after his proposed lineup of ministers drew backlash from both the right and left, who criticized it for including too many familiar figures from the previous government led by former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou.
The reappointment sparked swift and sharp reactions across France’s political spectrum.
Jordan Bardella, president of the right-wing National Rally (RN) party, denounced the reappointment as “a bad joke and a humiliation for the French people.”
Mathilde Panot of left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI), accused Macron of clinging to power despite deep unpopularity.
“Never before has a President wanted so much to govern by disgust and anger,” Panot declared in a statement posted on X.
“Lecornu, who resigned on Monday, was reappointed by Macron on Friday. Macron miserably postpones the inevitable: his departure,” she added, proposing to launch an impeachment effort against the president.
