Overview

• The Élysée said Emmanuel Macron accepted Sébastien Lecornu’s resignation after roughly four weeks in office, with the cabinet remaining in a caretaker role.
• The immediate trigger was Républicains leader and interior minister Bruno Retailleau signaling he would leave over the cabinet lineup, objecting notably to Bruno Le Maire’s move to defense and seeking greater party weight.
• Lecornu blamed a lack of compromise and personal ambitions across parties during nearly a month of talks, as his tenure ended after just 27 days.
• Opposition figures from left and right demanded either new elections or Macron’s resignation, leaving the president to decide on appointing a new premier or dissolving the National Assembly.
• The turmoil jeopardizes a 2026 austerity budget under heavy debt and EU deficit scrutiny, as Paris stocks fell around 1.5–2% and the euro weakened following the latest setback.