French prime minister Lecornu resigns after less than a month in office

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrives to deliver a statement at the Hotel Matignon in Paris on Friday (Alain Jocard, Pool Photo via AP)

France’s new prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned, 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.

Mr Lecornu’s choice of ministers had been criticised across the political spectrum, particularly his decision to bring back former finance minister Bruno Le Maire to serve at the Defence 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-Noel Barrot remaining as foreign minister, and Gerald Darmanin keeping the Justice Ministry.

Seeking consensus at the deeply fractured National Assembly, Mr 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 legislators from the left and the right.