French Prime Minister resigns after less than a month in office

France's new prime minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned Monday, just a day after naming his government and after less than a month in office.

The French presidency said in a statement that President Emmanuel Macron has accepted his resignation.

Lecornu's choice of ministers had been criticized across the political spectrum, particularly his decision to bring back former finance minister Bruno Le Maire to serve at the defense ministry.

Other key positions remained largely unchanged from the previous cabinet, with conservative Bruno Retailleau staying on as interior minister, in charge of policing and internal security, Jean-Noël Barrot remaining as foreign minister, and Gérald Darmanin keeping the justice ministry.

Seeking consensus at the deeply fractured National Assembly, Lecornu had announced that he would not employ a special constitutional power his predecessors used to force a budget through parliament without a vote and would instead seek a compromise with lawmakers from the left and the right.