Overview

• Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned Monday and Macron accepted, ending a 27‑day tenure after his cabinet survived only about half a day.
• The rupture followed a backlash from Les Républicains over the cabinet’s continuity and the surprise return of Bruno Le Maire to the defense post with fewer LR portfolios than sought.
• Left-wing parties prepared censure motions and the National Rally pressed for new elections, making parliamentary survival unlikely.
• Lecornu had ruled out using Article 49.3 for the 2026 budget, removing a key executive lever and heightening the risk of defeat in the Assembly.
• Macron tasked Lecornu with final talks to assemble a cross‑party action platform by Wednesday as markets fell nearly 2% in Paris on political and fiscal uncertainty.