French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned on Monday amid a deepening political crisis prompted by the announcement of a new cabinet.
Mr Lecornu stepped down after an hour-long, one-to-one meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, causing French stocks to fall and the euro to drop by three quarters of a cent against the US dollar. The President's protege was appointed to form a government only 27 days ago.
The Elysee said Mr Lecornu had been given until Wednesday for "final negotiations", as Mr Macron faced growing calls to address the nation throughout the day.
Right-wing figure Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France region, said Mr Macron "is the one responsible" for the crisis. "He must speak in the coming hours," Mr Bertrand added.
The political crisis has been watched closely by other European countries, where there are fears of a financial crisis that could cause wider turmoil. "A stable France is an important contribution to Europe," a German government spokesman said.
Two of Mr Lecornu's predecessors were toppled by parliament due to disagreements over how to tackle the budget crisis.
Mr Lecornu blamed political parties for being unable to compromise, saying some had already shown appetite for the presidential race. His resignation came 13 hours after the names of most of the ministers in his new cabinet had been announced, a development that triggered a crisis of support.
"The government's composition was not fluid," Mr Lecornu said, "and awakened partisan appetites likely linked to the presidential election".
It was an apparent jab at conservative leader Bruno Retailleau, who made a dramatic announcement on Sunday night, saying he would hold a party meeting on Monday because he was disappointed by the new cabinet.
Mr Retailleau's national standing has been bolstered by his recent mandate as Interior Minister – which he was set to keep under Mr Lecornu. He is widely viewed as a strong presidential candidate in the next election race. Mr Macron will not be able to run because he will have completed two terms.
The government line-up, announced on Sunday night, saw key Middle East policy figures stay in the job, including Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. Culture Minister Rachida Dati, whose job is to promote French expertise in international projects like AlUla in Saudi Arabia, also remained in her post.
In total, 12 ministers were set to stay in the new cabinet, indicating that Mr Lecornu might have been vying for stability after more than a year of political turmoil.
Foreign policy is traditionally led in France by the president and it remains unlikely that Mr Macron will deviate from his intention to remain involved in Middle East diplomacy.
70 years
However it remains to be seen how much bandwidth he will have for international politics as the political crisis in France worsens. The situation is unprecedented in the history of the Fifth Republic, which was formed in 1958. Television commentators have drawn comparisons with 1954, when the then-government of Joseph Laniel lasted a mere two days.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose political group is expected to win if new elections are held, said it was important to hold a vote. "We are at the end of the road," she said.
Mr Retailleau, a party leader and possible contender for the presidential election in 2027, was reportedly angered by having been kept in the dark about the appointment of the other Bruno in the government – Bruno Le Maire. He was appointed Defence Minister, but was previously Economy Minister from May 2017 to September last year.
The latter Bruno has become a symbol of lush government expenditures during the Covid 19 pandemic, earning himself the nickname of "Mr 1,000 billion" – a reference to the fact that under his mandate, France's public debt went from 2,300 billion euros to 3,300 billion euros.
Mr Retailleau said he was not to be blamed for the cabinet's rapid collapse, but claimed Mr Lecornu had "hidden" from him the nomination of Mr Le Maire. Later on Monday, Mr Le Maire said he had "transferred [his] responsibilities as Minister of the Armed Forces to the Prime Minister". He explained that he hoped that "this decision will allow the resumption of discussions with a view to forming a new government, which France needs".
Though handover ceremonies scheduled for Monday afternoon were cancelled because of Mr Lecornu's surprise resignation, the ministers appointed on Sunday remain in place in a caretaker government. However, they cannot recruit staff and must work with their predecessors' teams, according to daily newspaper Le Monde.
Without a strong political response to the current crisis, more social unrest is expected, after unions organised nationwide strikes last month to protest against plans by Mr Lecornu's predecessors to cut welfare spending. There are fears France is facing social unrest similar to the 2018 yellow vests movement, which opposed plans by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to increase energy and fuel prices.
Speaking on radio France Inter on Monday morning, Mr Barrot, a centrist, lamented a political class that was more interested in power plays than in serving the country.
"War is upon us, the planet is in turmoil, democracies are under attack and what do we see? "Mr Barrot asked. "We see political leaders who refuse to take responsibility and engage in a form of blackmail for positions, which is simply not up to the task."
