French PM beats Liz Truss record
France plunged into crisis as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned after just 27 days, sparking comparisons with Britain’s Liz Truss, who served for only 49 days. | Today’s Political Cartoon.
France has entered political turmoil once again as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigns after less than a month in office, becoming the shortest-serving premier in the history of the Fifth Republic.
His resignation exposes President Emmanuel Macron’s deepening crisis as he struggles to govern without a stable parliamentary majority amid growing public anger over austerity measures and widespread disillusionment with Macronism.
The government’s collapse has sparked both ridicule and alarm across Europe, with Marine Le Pen celebrating the chaos and commentators comparing France’s instability to Britain’s political farce following the brief tenure of Liz Truss.
For context, Liz Truss was the United Kingdom’s shortest-serving prime minister in 2022, stepping down after only seven weeks, or 49 days. Sébastien Lecornu now holds that distinction in France, having served for just 27 days.
GOING FURTHER
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigns after less than a month | BBC NEWS
France has had its own ‘Liz Truss moment’ – what is going on? | METRO
Sébastien Lecornu and the world’s other shortest political careers | POLITICO
Lecornu bemoans lack of compromise across political spectrum as he resigns as French PM | THE GUARDIAN
Sources:
▪ This piece was first published in Europeans TODAY.
