France's Premier Resigns After Less Than a Month Amidst Widespread Criticism of Freshly Appointed Ministers
The French political turmoil has worsened after the recently appointed premier suddenly stepped down within moments of announcing a cabinet.
Rapid Exit Amid Government Turmoil
Sébastien Lecornu was the third French prime minister in a single year, as the country continued to lurch from one government turmoil to another. He resigned a short time before his opening government session on Monday afternoon. France's leader approved his resignation on the start of the day.
Furious Backlash Regarding Fresh Cabinet
France's leader had faced intense backlash from opposition politicians when he announced a new government that was mostly identical since last previous month's removal of his former PM, his predecessor.
The proposed new government was led by Macron's allies, leaving the government mostly identical.
Opposition Response
Opposition parties said the prime minister had backtracked on the "major shift" with previous policies that he had vowed when he came to power from the unpopular former PM, who was dismissed on 9 September over a planned spending cuts.
Future Government Direction
The uncertainty now is whether the head of state will decide to terminate the legislature and call another snap election.
Jordan Bardella, the leader of Marine Le Pen's opposition group, said: "We cannot achieve a restoration of calm without a return to the ballot box and the legislature's dismissal."
He stated, "It was very clearly the president who determined this administration himself. He has misinterpreted of the political situation we are in."
Vote Demands
The National Rally has advocated for another election, believing they can boost their seats and role in the assembly.
The country has gone through a period of turmoil and parliamentary deadlock since the centrist Macron called an unclear early vote last year. The assembly remains divided between the three blocs: the left, the nationalist group and the moderate faction, with no absolute dominance.
Budget Deadline
A financial plan for next year must be passed within coming days, even though government factions are at loggerheads and Lecornu's tenure ended in barely three weeks.
No-Confidence Motion
Parties from the left to far right were to hold discussions on the start of the week to decide whether or not to approve to dismiss Lecornu in a opposition challenge, and it seemed that the administration would fail before it had even started work. The prime minister apparently decided to step down before he could be dismissed.
Ministerial Appointments
Nearly all of the key cabinet roles revealed on Sunday night remained the unchanged, including the legal affairs head as legal affairs leader and Rachida Dati as culture minister.
The responsibility of financial affairs leader, which is essential as a fragmented legislature struggles to approve a budget, went to the president's supporter, a Macron ally who had previously served as industry and energy minister at the commencement of Macron's second term.
Surprise Appointment
In a unexpected decision, a longtime Macron ally, a Macron ally who had acted as economic policy head for seven years of his term, came back to administration as defence minister. This enraged politicians across the political divide, who viewed it as a signal that there would be no questioning or modification of Macron's pro-business stance.