Lecornu had replaced his predecessor, François Bayrou, on Sept. 9 to become France’s fourth prime minister in barely a year during a prolonged period of political instability. Lecornu is now the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic, which started in 1958.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, just hours after appointing his new cabinet, plunging France straight back into a political crisis it has been stuck in since 2022.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau indicated that new elections may be necessary if the political deadlock persists. He urged President Macron to address the issue promptly but noted that alternative solutions exist,

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday tasked his outgoing prime minister, who had resigned earlier in the day, to hold last-ditch talks with other political parties to try to chart a path out of the crisis.

The surprise resignation of Sébastien Lecornu after less than a month in office intensified concerns that France would be unable to tackle its enormous debt pile.