France In Political Turmoil As Lecornu Steps Down

France was thrown into deeper political uncertainty on Monday after President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, just hours after he unveiled his new cabinet.

Lecornu, appointed last month and formerly defence minister, faced intense criticism over the largely unchanged cabinet lineup.

He had been tasked with securing parliamentary approval for a contentious austerity budget, a challenge that proved insurmountable in the fractured legislature.

His resignation makes him the third prime minister to fall amid mounting tensions over France’s ballooning public debt, which now stands among the highest in the European Union.

France has struggled to break political gridlock since Macron’s failed snap parliamentary gamble last year left his coalition without a majority.