Hours after naming his cabinet, French President Emmanuel Macron accepted Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s resignation on Monday, further polarizing France. Lecornu, a former defense minister, had been appointed just last month.
The largely unchanged cabinet Lecornu announced Sunday drew harsh criticism from multiple political perspectives. He faced the challenge of securing support for next year’s austerity budget in a deeply divided parliament.
The legislative chamber had dismissed Lecornu’s two immediate predecessors, Francois Bayrou and Michel Barnier, over the spending proposal. Last week, official figures showed France’s public debt reached a record high.
France now has the third-highest debt-to-GDP ratio in the EU, behind Greece and Italy, nearly double the 60 percent limit under EU rules.
Previous administrations forced the last three budgets through parliament without a vote, which the opposition strongly opposed.
Lecornu promised last week to allow MPs to vote on the bill. Since Macron called early parliamentary elections last year to strengthen his power, France has struggled politically.
The strategy backfired, leaving Macron’s supporters in the assembly a minority.
