Paris: French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, appointed by President Emmanuel Macron nearly a month ago, resigned on October 6, a day after his new cabinet sparked controversy, throwing the European Union into further political deadlock. Lecornu is the fifth French Premier to quit his post in the past two years.
The resignation came after right-wing allies had indicated they would withdraw from his government after Lecornu unveiled his cabinet full of familiar faces, including those of his predecessor, Francois Bayrou.
Following his resignation, Lecornu set three records - becoming the shortest-serving Prime Minister in just 27 days, spending the longest time without a government (26 days) and the only premier not to have made a general policy statement, according to news agency AFP.
Following his appointment as the Prime Minister by Macron amid a burgeoning debt crisis, Lecornu vowed a "rupture" with previous Macron-appointed governments and brought in fresh faces, The Financial Times reported. However, he appointed a largely unchanged cabinet, including loyalists of Macron and Bayrou, drawing furore from right-wing allies. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen called Lecornu's new cabinet "pathetic".
