Lecornu resigns the day after forming his government

A lightning government

Only 27 days and the record for the shortest-serving Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic. Sébastien Lecornu, the resigning Prime Minister, had just revealed part of his government list on Sunday, October 5, which had earned him the wrath of the opposition. Indeed, 12 of the 18 ministers were already in the previous government, as was Sébastien Lecornu himself. However, he had declared that he wanted "breaks" with previous governments, excluding the use of Article 49.3 in order to allow Parliament to debate.

A "circus"

The appointment of Bruno Le Maire as Minister of the Armed Forces has reportedly sparked a spate of controversy on the right, particularly among the LR party. According to Bruno Retailleau, the outgoing Interior Minister, Sébastien Lecornu had promised him not to appoint Le Maire to his government. Despite considerable internal pressure from the LR party, Bruno Retailleau declared on LCI that he "did not at all" feel responsible for the departure of the future ex-Prime Minister. Xavier Bertreand (LR) believed that his group could "not participate in this government."

Marion Maréchal, Member of the European Parliament, called on Bruno Retailleau "to form a coalition" following the resignation of Sébastien Lecornu.

On the presidential group side, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who had just been reappointed to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, "despaired of this circus where everyone plays their part, but no one takes responsibility."

The President of the National Assembly called on X for the creation of a "stability and responsibility pact." Yaël Braun-Pivet believes that "the path of dialogue is still possible." "Our fellow citizens are waiting for us to sit down at the table," she wrote on X.

On the left, the lack of new names has also caused a reaction.

Marine Tondelier (EELV) declared that she was "ashamed of the spectacle that is being put on. They refused to appoint a left-wing ecologist Prime Minister, arguing that it would not be stable. And that the only one who could be stable was Mr. Barnier. As a result, he is the Prime Minister who lasted the shortest time in the Fifth Republic. […] Now, another novelty in the Fifth Republic, this is the first time that this has happened, a Prime Minister who resigns even before his general policy speech."

Mathilde Panot (LFI) invited on X to "a meeting this afternoon with the founding organizations of Nupes and the NFP in order to consider all the possibilities opened up by this situation." Arthur Delaporte (PS) has already responded by explaining that for him, "it is not up to Jean-Luc Mélenchon to summon us."

Lucie Castets, nominated by the New Popular Front as a candidate for Matignon, is today calling for a union of the left. "All the left-wing forces that have helped keep the far right in check must engage in dialogue and be ready," she wrote on X.

This government ultimately remained in office for 836 minutes, according to Le Monde.

The list of ministers appointed on Sunday evening:

• Elisabeth Borne, Minister of State, Minister of National Education, Higher Education and Research;
• Manuel Valls, Minister of State, Minister of Overseas Territories;
• Gérald Darmanin, Minister of State, Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice;
• Bruno Retailleau, Minister of State, Minister of the Interior;
• Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Labor, Health, Solidarity and Families, Autonomy and People with Disabilities;
• Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs;
• Roland Lescure, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Energy Sovereignty;
• Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture;
• Eric Woerth, Minister of Regional Planning, Decentralization and Housing;
• Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs;
• Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea and Fisheries;
• Annie Genevard, Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty;
• Amélie de Montchalin, Minister of Public Accounts;
• Naïma Moutchou, Minister of Transformation and Public Action, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology;
• Philippe Tabarot, Minister of Transport;
• Marina Ferrari, Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Life;
• Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister for Gender Equality and the Fight against Discrimination, Government Spokesperson;
• Mathieu Lefèvre, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister, responsible for relations with Parliament.