Sébastien Lecornu resigns after 24 hours as prime minister
Sébastien Lecornu, appointed prime minister on September 9, 2025, resigned on October 6, less than 24 hours after unveiling his government, due to tensions with the Republicans. This makes his government the shortest-lived in the Fifth Republic. Emmanuel Macron has asked him to conduct ultimate negotiations by October 8.
France's political crisis reaches a new peak with the swift resignation of Sébastien Lecornu. Appointed prime minister on September 9, 2025, to succeed François Bayrou, who was ousted by a confidence vote the same day, the 39-year-old Macron loyalist since 2017 was tasked with forming a government backed by the 'common base' of Macronists and the right, while seeking socialist support for budgets.
His government, unveiled on October 5 after a record 26-day delay, included 18 ministers, 12 from Bayrou's team. It faced immediate no-confidence threats from the Rassemblement national (RN) and the left. Internal criticism mounted, particularly from Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, also Republicans' president, unhappy with Bruno Le Maire's appointment.
On October 6, Lecornu submitted his resignation to the president, stating that 'the conditions are no longer met' due to tensions with the Republicans. His tenure, shorter than Michel Barnier's (toppled in 2024), highlights the fragility of the 'common base.' Macron asked Lecornu to lead 'ultimate negotiations' for a compromise by the evening of October 8.
This turmoil fits a broader timeline: following the June 2024 dissolution, unstable minority governments have followed, with recurring no-confidence motions. Meanwhile, on October 8, a destitution motion against Macron filed by La France insoumise (LFI) was declared inadmissible by the Assembly bureau (5 for, 10 against, 5 abstentions), with RN abstaining. Mathilde Panot, LFI group president, accused RN of 'saving Emmanuel Macron.'