By Charles Maduka
France’s President Emmanuel Macron on Monday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu just hours after he unveiled his cabinet, throwing the country deeper into political deadlock. Macron had named Lecornu, a former defence minister, to the post last month.
The cabinet announced late on Sunday was largely unchanged from the previous one, drawing strong criticism from across the political spectrum. Lecornu was expected to lead efforts to secure parliamentary approval for an austerity budget for next year, a task that had already claimed his two predecessors, Francois Bayrou and Michel Barnier, who were ousted over similar standoffs.
France’s public debt has reached a record high, with the debt-to-GDP ratio now the third highest in the European Union after Greece and Italy. The figure is nearly double the 60 percent limit set by EU rules. Previous governments pushed through budgets without parliamentary votes using a constitutional provision, a practice heavily criticised by the opposition.
Lecornu had promised lawmakers last week that they would be able to vote on the new spending plan. However, the divided parliament made it difficult for him to gather enough support.
France has been mired in political deadlock since Macron called snap parliamentary elections last year in a bid to strengthen his authority. The gamble backfired, leaving his party and its allies in a minority in the National Assembly.
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