Overview

• Élysée accepted Sébastien Lecornu’s resignation and asked him to conduct last‑chance talks through Wednesday to identify a governing basis, with Macron vowing to “take responsibility” if they fail.
• The rupture followed backlash from Républicains leader and interior minister Bruno Retailleau over the cabinet lineup, and Bruno Le Maire later said he would forgo the contentious move to defense.
• Lecornu opened consultations with Macron’s centrist allies and parliamentary leaders and proposed focusing discussions on the next budget and New Caledonia; the Rassemblement National declined an invitation, according to local reports.
• With no majority in the three‑bloc National Assembly, the government remains in caretaker mode and the austerity‑leaning budget timetable faces further delays.
• Opposition parties pressed for dissolution or Macron’s resignation, former allies criticized the president, and French assets weakened as stocks fell and borrowing costs rose.